Law Changes Season 20/21 – The Penalty Kick

Offences and Sanctions

There is a significant change to the law on the Penalty Kick this coming season and it is important to digest and understand it before a ball is kicked.

If at the taking of a penalty kick the goalkeeper offends:

• If the ball enters the goal, a goal is awarded
• If the ball misses the goal or rebounds from the crossbar or goalpost(s). the kick is only retaken if the goalkeeper’s offence clearly impacted on the kicker.
• If the ball is prevented from entering the goal by the goalkeeper. The kick is retaken
• If the goalkeeper’s offence results in the kick being retaken, the goalkeeper is warned for the first offence in the game and cautioned for any subsequent offence(s) in the game.

If a team-mate of the goalkeeper offends:

• If the ball enters the goal, a goal is awarded
• If the ball does not enter the goal, the kick is retaken

A player of both teams offends:

• The kick is retaken unless a player commit(s) a more serious offence (eg illegal feinting)

Both the goalkeeper and the kicker commit an offence at the same time:

• The kicker is cautioned (yellow card) and play restarts with an indirect free kick to the defending team

Summary Table

	GOAL	NO GOAL
Encroachment by attacking player	Penalty is retaken	Indirect free kick
Encroachment by defending player	Goal	Penalty is retaken
Encroachment by defending and attacking player	Penalty retaken	Penalty is retaken
Offence by goalkeeper	Goal	Not saved: penalty is not retaken (unless kicker is clearly impacted) Saved: penalty is retaken and warning for goalkeeper; caution for any further offence(s)
Goalkeeper and kicker offend at the same time	Indirect free kick and caution (yellow card) for kicker	Indirect free kick and caution for kicker
Illegal feinting	Indirect free kick and caution (yellow card) for kicker	Indirect free kick and caution (yellow card) for kicker
Wrong kicker	Indirect free kick and caution (yellow card) for wrong kicker	Indirect free kick and caution (yellow card) for wrong  kicker

VAR Amend

For subjective decisions, e.g. intensity of a foul challenge, interference at offside, handball considerations, an ‘on-field review’ (OFR) is often appropriate • For factual decisions, e.g. position of an offence or player (offside), point of contact (handball/foul), location (inside or outside the penalty area), ball out of play etc. a VAR-only review is usually appropriate but an ‘on-field review’ (OFR) can be used for a factual decision if it will help manage the players/match or ‘sell’ the decision (e.g. a crucial match-deciding decision late in the game).