Shoot-out advice for referees
Tuesday, 02 September 2003
UEFA has issued guidelines to referees about deciding which goal should be used for penalty shoot-outs in UEFA club competition matches.
Monaco approval
The guidelines, which will apply from 15 September – the start of the week when this season's UEFA Champions League group stage gets under way, were approved by the UEFA Club Competitions Committee at its meeting in Monaco last week, following consultations with the UEFA Referees Committee.
Coin toss
Under the guidelines, the referee decides, in the presence of the two captains, that the head side of the coin corresponds to one goal, and the tail side to the other. The referee then tosses the coin to determine which goal will be used for penalty kicks.
Referee's choice
However, the referee can still choose which goal will be used for the penalty shoot-out without tossing a coin, for reasons of safety or security, the state of the field of play, lighting, etc. In such a case, the referee would not be required to justify his decision, which would be final.
Fair decision
One key reason for the guidelines is to ease pressure on referees with respect to penalty shoot-outs, as it will give the opportunity for a fair decision which must be accepted by both teams. At the end of the 2003/04 season, the UEFA administration will decide whether to include a clause on penalty shoot-out goals in the club competition regulations.
