The International Football Association Board has made a significant change to penalty rules following a controversial shootout in the Champions League this term.
The amendment to Law 14 comes after Atletico Madrid's Julian Alvarez had his penalty ruled out by VAR during their last-16 clash with Real Madrid.
The striker had slipped when running up to shoot and subsequently double-touched the ball with both feet.
Although barely noticeable initially, VAR deemed the kick illegal and it was not registered as a goal.
Julian Alvarez's goal was disallowed due to two touches of the ball
Reuters
Atletico went on to lose the match 4-2 on penalties, prompting furious reactions from manager Diego Simeone and supporters. The controversy has now led IFAB to distinguish between intentional and inadvertent double-touches in penalty situations.
Alvarez's penalty was disallowed after a VAR check revealed he had double-touched the ball during his run-up. The Argentine striker slipped whilst approaching the spot and made contact with the ball using both feet.
JUST IN: Gary Lineker signs new deal just days after BBC removes him from archives
The double-touch was barely visible to the naked eye but video technology picked up the infringement. VAR officials ruled the penalty kick illegal under the existing regulations, meaning it could not stand as a goal.
The decision proved crucial as Atletico Madrid were subsequently eliminated from Europe's elite competition. Real Madrid progressed after winning the penalty shootout 4-2, knocking their city rivals out of the Champions League at the last-16 stage.
READ MORE: Novak Djokovic accuses opponent of 'spying' on him during French Open
The rules have now been changed surrounding penalties
Simeone defended his player's penalty attempt and questioned VAR's intervention in the crucial moment. The Atletico manager said: "I just saw the image of the penalty. The referee said that when Julian stepped and kicked, he touched the ball with his foot, but the ball didn't move."
He continued: "That's something to discuss about whether it was a goal or not, but I'm proud of my players. When he plants his foot and kicks, the ball doesn't move even a little bit."
LATEST SPORTS NEWS:
The Spanish coach expressed surprise at VAR's involvement, stating: "But if VAR called it, I've never seen a penalty called by VAR, but it's still valid, and they'll have seen that he touched it. I want to believe they'll have seen that he touched it."
The outrage prompted IFAB to alter Law 14, which was previously based on a player intentionally kicking the ball twice during a penalty. Because Alvarez did not intentionally shoot twice during the shootout, the regulation has been amended to account for similar situations.
A closer look at THAT penalty from Julián Alvarez 😱 pic.twitter.com/HdyUQ0TeOE
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 13, 2025
The new rules now state: "The penalty taker inadvertently hits the ball with both feet simultaneously or the ball touches his supporting foot or leg just after taking the kick: If the ball enters the goal, it will be repeated. If the ball does not enter the goal, an indirect free kick will be awarded (unless the referee grants an advantage when the action clearly benefits the defending team) or, in the case of penalty shoot-outs, the shot will be recorded as missed."
For intentional double-touches, an indirect free kick will be awarded or the shot recorded as missed in penalty shootouts.
Most Read
