What should the referee do if a player taking a penalty kick shoots the ball into the goal after it rebounds off the goalpost?

The situation described involves a penalty kick where the ball strikes the goalpost and rebounds back into play. In this scenario, the correct action for the referee is to award a goal if the player then plays the ball and scores following the rebound.

A goal is considered valid if the initial penalty kick results in the ball hitting the goalpost and then going into the goal as long as the player follows the correct procedures outlined for penalty kicks. According to the Laws of the Game, if a player takes a penalty kick and the ball rebounds off the goalpost, they are allowed to play the ball again. Consequently, if the player scores after the rebound, it counts as a goal.

In contrast, awarding an indirect free kick to the opposing side would imply an infringement on the rules that did not occur in this situation. Likewise, allowing a re-kick would only be appropriate if the penalty kick was taken improperly (such as if the goalkeeper infringed upon the rules prior to the kick being executed). Lastly, a goal kick is not applicable here, as that scenario arises when the ball goes out of play without a goal being scored.

Thus, when a player takes a penalty kick that rebounds off the goalpost, and they subsequently play the ball