During Chelsea’s draw with West Ham, an incorrect penalty decision led to Frank Lampard placing the ball on the spot. Immediately after his successful first attempt, the referee blew his whistle and ordered a retake of the penalty, citing encroachment from several West Ham players.
Lampard retook the shot, then retook it once more, following another encroachment. He made all three shots, but each time, keeper Robert Green looked closer and closer to saving the shot. Meanwhile, there was no specific punishment doled out to the West Ham players.
This raises the possibility of an interesting strategy, but one that would be detrimental to the sport. Keepers are given a slight advantage when a penalty is retaken — they have an idea of whether the taker is likely to fake, which side they like to aim for, etc. It can also unsettle the taker, who doesn’t expect to have to retake each attempt.
Based on this, it would seem a good strategy for a team who has just given up a penalty to purposely encroach two or three times. Assuming they agree on the number of times in advance with the keeper, it could give he keeper a much needed opportunity to analyze the situation while the penalty taker becomes increasingly frustrated.
We know that watching a player’s previous penalty attempts is helpful — just ask Ben Foster and Jens Lehmann.
Obviously this is not how the game should be played and it would be aggravating for fans and players alike to watch. I’d liken it to the strategy in American football or basketball of the defensive team calling a timeout to ruin the flow of the game in the final crucial moments.
Surely the rules need to be changed, or referees need to hand out yellow cards more liberally when a several players disrupt the game. Thoughts?
