In response to requests for clarification of its earlier guideline on deception at the taking of a
penalty kick, the International Football Association Board (IFAB) published a circular in 2010
outlining the circumstances in which a player taking a penalty kick may act to deceive the
goalkeeper by performing a “feint” between the time the referee signals for the kick to be taken
and when the ball is considered to be “in play.”  This memo provides those clarifications in
summary form, followed by several points of emphasis to assist referees in managing the
process.

Managing Feinting by the Kicker at a Penalty Kick or Kick from the Mark