In a recent exhibition game Portuguese winger Luis Boa Morte caused quite a stir when dispatching a penalty kick late in the game.
Maybe players all over the world will start taking penalty kicks the extraordinary way he took this one. If it was legal.
The former Fulham and West Ham man was playing in a charity game organized by former Fifa World Player of the Year Luis Figo.
As he approached the ball 34-year-old Boa Morte (who was on trial with Toronto FC last season) stopped and feigned kicking the ball before pulling his leg back a second time to slot the ball into the net and past a bamboozled goalkeeper.
So what is all the fuss about you may be asking? Well, there is huge debate after people across the globe have been reaching for (or most likely just typing ‘penalty kick rules’ into their search engine) their Fifa rulebooks.
This is the specific FIFA ruling on a run up during a PK, under Law 14 -the penalty kick, to give you a recap:
Feinting in the run-up to take a penalty kick to confuse opponents is permitted as part of football. However, feinting to kick the ball once the player has completed his run-up is considered an infringement of Law 14 and an act of unsporting behaviour for which the player must be cautioned.
Okay, here is Boa Morte’s incredible penalty kick below. Watch the video and let us know if you think he has broken the laws of the game or if the goal should have been allowed.
