The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Toeing line on new rules
Ridgers is getting it right in the cup competition of shootouts
Caley Thistle goalkeeper Mark Ridgers has been putting in the extra hours to adapt to the controversial new International Football Association Board (IFAB) rule on penalties.
The ruling is among a series of changes implemented this summer, forcing goalkeepers to have at least part of one foot on the goal line as a penalty is taken.
Scotland paid the price
for failing to comply with the new ruling during the women’s World Cup last month when goalkeeper Lee Alexander saw a “saved” penalty against Argentina brought back for a retake after VAR showed she had strayed off her line. The subsequent spot-kick was scored to make it 3-3 and send the Scots out of the tournament.
Ridgers is eager to ensure he complies with the new ruling, with the 28-year-old preparing for the possibility of penalties to determine tomorrow’s decisive Betfred League Cup match at Dundee.
The former Hearts and St Mirren goalkeeper has already been involved in one shootout during the competition, with Ridgers missing a spot-kick as Caley Jags lost out on the bonus point to Peterhead at Balmoor.
Ridgers hopes for better fortune should tomorrow’s game go all the way.
He said: “We’ve seen quite a few penalty shootouts in this campaign.
“I go on instinct, although I’ve been working a wee bit on the new rule about movement on the line.
“It is really difficult because as soon as you take a step your body weight goes forward. The only way you can go the other way is by moving your other foot, but that’s a foul now. You have to guess right or hope it is a poor penalty. It’s something we’ve been working on.
“Peterhead was the first time I’d ever taken a penalty. Hopefully it’s the last as well.”
Inverness have not advanced past the group stage of the competition since Ridgers joined his hometown club from Partick Thistle in 2017 and he is eager to book a last-16 spot, with both teams locked on seven points ahead of the Dens Park encounter.
He added: “We said at the beginning of the campaign our aim was to win the group. We’ve tried to put ourselves in a position to do that.
“Performances have been a bit up and down over the three games but you kind of expect that ahead of the league campaign.
“There have been some crazy results elsewhere, with so-called smaller teams picking up points.
“We’re where we wanted to be and it is in our hands to do the job and qualify for the next round.”
“You have to guess right or hope it’s a poor penalty”