You should always want your highest level player taking the shot since the formula for deciding a PK is:

50 + (4 x penalty takers skill) - (2 x Gk skill) % to a maximum 95%

This is the only spot where a shooter's SL actually factors into the shot resolution, so you want your best guy taking them. BUT... how many DFs do you see out there taking PKs in real life? I'm ok with the proposed change, but I don't think that's the real issue here.

The real issue here is that Mark's best FW got sent off, thus was playing at half SL. The change I would propose would be if a player gets sent off or injured, resulting in him playing at reduced SL, then the PK code selects the next best player. 

Just to follow-up on Rob's point...

What you have listed as a proposal Rob I believe did happen.  Its just that Mark's 2nd best Fw was an SL 5 too, so one of the SL 5 Fw's ended up taking the kick.

As I mentioned to Mark, I don't have an issue with changing it, just wanted to hear some feedback first (this would be an off-season change).

You see MFs taking PKs in real-life, so I would think we would want both FWs/MFs accounted for in the PK selection. Folks can prove me wrong because I haven't done the research, but I really don't think you see a lot of DFs taking PKs (outside of PK shootouts), so I don't think they should be included.

Players from other positions do take penatlies - there's even been the odd GK taking them before!

I believe that this was one of my proposals a couple of seasons back (!) in which I proposed that MF should take penatlies at SL-1, DF at SL-2 and SW at SL-3.  Using that formula, find the best player to take the PK, with tie-breaker of FW then MF then DF then SW for the same effective SL.

I like Mr. Bate's proposal.

Andy makes a good point with his formula, but to make it easier I would agree with Brian - best SL player (FW preferred) - after assuming any injuries/sending offs - to take the penalty.

I vote Yes for allowing other players (other than the Fws) to take PK's.  The GK is also included.

I'm fine with including all FW/MF/DF players on penalty kicks.  I am opposed to the SW and GK being included in possibly taking the penalty kicks during regulation.

A penalty kick is a direct free kick taken within the game, with a live ball resulting as soon as the ball is kicked from the penalty spot toward the goal.  If the kick is blocked or rebounds from a post back onto the field of play, it is live and can be played by either side.  A team should not have their GK or primary defensive stopper/last line of defense taking a shot that could result in the other team having a wide open goal to shoot at in case of block/miss and fast counter-attack.  Even in case of a miss that goes out of bounds, the goalie could quickly get a ball and launch a goal kick down the field faster than the GK could get back and properly get into position to defend the goal.

Penalty kick shootouts at the end of tourney games are not played in live time and thus anyone can participate, SWs & GKs included, because there is no chance of countering on a miss.

From a competitive standpoint in the United universe, forcing a player apart from the GK/SW to take the kick also reduces the "one man army" potential that a very high SL GK or SW has anyway.  They already stop most of the scoring chances.  We shouldn't maximize the impact that just one player can have on any game by also letting that team get a scoring boost from them too!  Managers should have to field a good player outside the specialty spots if they want to take advantage of PK opportunities.

I am ambivalent about the inclusion of SL penalties on the MF/DF so whatever the league and/or Al decides is fairer for the game is fine with me.

I'll take this moment to say I am against the SL penalty for MF's and DF's taking penalty kicks.

For the sake of simplicity, it seems best to institute the inclusion of only MF's and DF's for PK's.  This keeps the GK's and SW's out of the scenario(s), and still allows for a team's best (or almost best) SL player to take the kick and keeps the playing field level throughout the league.  And without the penalty on SL for MF's and DF's, it keeps the code as simple as possible for Allan.

Last weeked, I missed 3 penalties in my match:

http://www.olmec.org/mswl-united/match_report.php?schedule_id=59&type=report

Closer inspection showed that my penalty taker was sent off in the match and thus playing at half level.

On conferring with the Commish, the penalty taker is allocated by the system, based upon the strongest Fw, regardless of whether stronger Df/Mf are playing.

So, question is should the choice of penalty taker be changed to allow Mf/Df to take penalties and/or reflect injuries/red cards to Fws?

December 4th Update
Based on all the discussion I've added a poll to determine this. Voting closes at the Session 5 Deadline on December 11th.

Al  

I'm 100% against SW & GK taking PKs outside of a shootout. I'm ambivalent about the penalty.

A poll has been added to determine the approach moving forward.

I assume Allan presented the option because he is able to code it.

I voted for the option with the SL penalty only because it appears that SWs will be included in the ability to take PKs. This will make them even more powerful than they already are as Kevin Martin has previously indicated.

Sorry, the options should have been clearer.  Option C IS only for Fw, Mf, and Df.

If anyone needs to revote, let me know via email.

Yes, Mr. Baptiste, I checked the code on this one and its not too much to modify for these options.

Poll is now closed, Option C is the winner.  I'll expand the approach in the off-season to allow the Mf and Df to be considered so that the player with the highest SL among these 3 positions will take the PK.