Strange Penalty Incident Last Night

[dantilley]

I wonder if anyone can tell me more about this...

Out of the corner of my eye last night, in a sneaky glance up at the football on the TV while having dinner with my girlfriend, I saw a rather bizarre looking penalty incident. First, the kick was taken in the Henry-Pires style, with the penalty taker tapping it forward and another player running in to slot it home. However, on this occasion, a defending player from the other team lunged in and cleared the ball off the line after the second player had kicked it. My immediate thought to this was that the defender should be penalised (in fact, for a split second, I thought the player who cleared the ball was a steward or fan - it just looked so strange to have a player in that position after a penalty), but all his team-mates were congratulating him and play continued.

How could this happen? Can a defending player legally position himself off the pitch at the touch-line and sneak in after the kick's been taken? Or perhaps he was outside the area, but over to the side, and sprinted in in time to clear the ball? Did anyone see this incident properly and can maybe ched some light on this??? The footage I was watching was part of a Thai speaking news programme, and in a busy restaurant so I couldn't really see or hear it too well. But it didn't look like two Premiership teams who were involved...

[Jockstar]

Didnt see it. But for what i can understand. If a player is off the field. He cannot return with out the referees permission. Obviously some circumstances. Could be he has left the field of play while trying to get a ball etc. But if he has lfet of his own accord. Then for a penalty then he cant return withpoout the referees consent.

This from FIFA

Position of the Ball and the Players

The players other than the kicker are located:

inside the field of play;

outside the penalty area;

behind the penalty mark;

at least 9.15 m (10 yds) from the penalty mark.

The Referee

does not signal for a penalty kick to be taken until the players have taken up position in accordance with the Law;

decides when a penalty kick has been completed.

Procedure

The player taking the penalty kicks the ball forward.

He does not play the ball a second time until it has touched another player.

The ball is in play when it is kicked and moves forward.

And this...

Infringements/Sanctions

A team-mate of the player taking the kick enters the penalty area or moves in front of or within 9.15 m (10 yds) of the penalty mark:

the referee allows the kick to proceed.

If the ball enters the goal, the kick is retaken.

If the ball does not enter the goal, the referee stops play and restarts

the match with an indirect free kick to the defending team.

If the ball rebounds from the goalkeeper, the crossbar or the goalpost and is touched by this player, the referee stops play and restarts the match with an indirect free kick to the defending team.

A team-mate of the goalkeeper enters the penalty area or moves in front of or within 9.15 m (10 yds) of the penalty mark:

the referee allows the kick to proceed.

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 the defending team and the attacking team infringe the Laws of the Game:

the kick is retaken.

[ThaiPauly]

Its a difficult one this.

Does anyone remember when Dion Dublin scored against Newcastle after HE went out of play.

Given had the ball and proceeded to toy with it before kicking it upfield, but he had obviously forgot that Dion had gone out of play. He came back on, nicked the ball off Given's toes and smashed it in the net.

There was a standing joke going around at the time that "Shay Given had to be the only Irishman who did not know where Dublin was"

I know this is jesting and in no way is meant to belittle Jockstar's post which is very informative

Cheers

TP