West Ham penalty not retaken after Charlton encroachment

West Ham's Home Debut

West Ham United opened the 2026‑27 Championship season with a 2‑1 defeat to London rivals Charlton Athletic on Saturday. The loss added pressure on manager Nuno Espirito Santo, who had already seen the Hammers squander a two‑goal lead against Burnley on opening weekend.

The Penalty Incident

In added time, Taty Castellanos stepped up for West Ham and fired a penalty that hit the post. The miss was the headline, but the real controversy stemmed from an alleged encroachment by Charlton defender Conor Coventry. Coventry’s outstretched arm blocked the ball as it was heading toward the goal, a clear infringement that should have prompted a retake under older rules.

Referee’s Decision

Referee Andrew Kitchen awarded the penalty and, after the miss, allowed play to continue. Kitchen justified his decision by citing the current penalty‑kick law, which states that encroachment only warrants a retake if it “clearly impacted on the goalkeeper” or if the encroaching player “plays the ball or challenges an opponent for the ball and then scores, attempts to score or creates a goal‑scoring opportunity.” Kitchen judged that Coventry’s encroachment did not affect the goalkeeper and therefore the penalty stood.

Law Behind the Decision

Keith Hackett, a former FIFA referee, explained the specific wording of the law that Kitchen applied:

> “If, before the ball is in play, one of the following occurs: A teammate of the player taking the penalty kick is penalised for encroachment only if: the encroachment clearly impacted on the goalkeeper; or the encroaching player plays the ball or challenges an opponent for the ball and then scores, attempts to score or creates a goal‑scoring opportunity.

> A teammate of the goalkeeper is penalised for encroachment only if: the encroachment clearly impacted on the kicker; or the encroaching player plays the ball or challenges an opponent for the ball and this prevents the opponents from scoring, attempting to score or creating a goal‑scoring opportunity.

> Referee has judged that the encroachment has not impacted on the goalkeeper so play is allowed to continue.”

Under Hackett’s view, the ball’s trajectory-crashing off the post and leaving the box for a throw‑in-meant that the encroachment did not meet the criteria for a retake.

Expert Opinion

Hackett told West Ham Zone that, in his era of officiating, the penalty would have been retaken. He praised Kitchen for correctly identifying the handball offence that earned the penalty but criticized the decision not to retake the kick. “There is clearly encroachment and in my era of officiating under a different law the kick would be retaken,” he said.

Implications for West Ham

The incident underscores the importance of accurate refereeing for West Ham’s campaign. With a 2‑1 loss and a missed penalty that could have earned a point, the Hammers face mounting scrutiny. West Ham can’t afford to rely on refereeing decisions to help them out; they need to use this as a reality check.