Refs get tough at penalties

Although there were no British teams involved, I'm sure like me many of you watched last season's European Champions Cup final between AC Milan and Juventus on television. We were promised an exciting match between two of the continents most talented teams but what we got was a yawn-making 0-0 draw. 

It's funny that when you have no interest in who wins, even the penalty-kick decider at the end had little excitement. To me, the most noteworthy aspect of that, was how far the goalkeepers came off their goal line before the kick was taken, without the referee having the kick re-taken when it was saved. 

I have had to judge goalkeepers moving many times and it is not always easy but on one occasion in the final, the goalkeeper almost reached the edge of the goal area without being checked. Of course I was not the only one to pick up on this lax interpretation of the law. 

This year's annual information and instruction sheet sent to every referee from FIFA, included additional instructions with the pithy comment 'Nowadays, infringements often occur at a penalty kick, yet the referee seldom takes action. 'The goalkeeper,' it reminded pointedly, 'infringes if he moves from his goal-line before the ball has been kicked. Referees must ensure that when players infringe this law, appropriate action is taken'. 

The footballing authorities have been concerned about this lack of action at penalty kicks for some time. In 2000 the law was changed, adding to the assistant referees' duties; 'to indicate whether at a penalty kick the goalkeeper has moved before the ball has been kicked and if the ball has crossed the line'. 

The reason is simple of course. It is very difficult, unless you have wide-angled vision, to watch the goalkeeper and the goal line, the kicker and the players on the edge of the penalty area all at the same time. By passing the responsibility of the goal line to the assistant referee, the referee can concentrate on any players encroaching into the area. 

So it was the fault of the assistant referee at the final, or was it? Only last season, one referee, when I ran the line at a cup semi-final, said 'Leave the line and goalkeeper to me at any penalty'. Even when referees play by the book and allow their assistants to take the goalkeeper, some require what I call secret signals. In other words they ask that, if the goalkeeper moves and a goal has not been scored, the assistant referee should indicate by standing still. 

I know one colleague at least who on more than one occasion has observed this requirement, only for play to be allowed to continue. He doesn't know whether the referees have deliberately ignored him or in the euphoria that surrounds a penalty save, have just not realised he is standing still. 

I believe that if the goalkeeper moves too soon in making a save, the assistant referee should raise his flag, to make his indication quite clear. 

Incidentally, I was asked recently by someone who saw a penalty in another televised game. 'Aren't goalkeepers supposed to stand still on the goal line?' He would have been right a few years ago but the law was changed in 1997 allowing the goalkeeper to move along his line, provided he faces the kicker. Another fallacy is that if the goalkeeper moves but the kicker blasts the ball outside the goal posts or over the cross bar, there is no necessity to re-take the kick as he wouldn't have scored anyway. That is not the case, it must still be re- taken. 

An early illustration that at least one referee was taking notice was at the pre-season Reading friendly against Southampton when Nicky Shorey was ordered to re-take his penalty kick. I'm sure we will see many more re-takes before the season ends. 


Dick Sawdon Smith

 

© R Sawdon Smith 2003

Back To Contents