The regulations for penalty kicks have been changed following the controversial disallowance of Atlético Madrid striker Julián Álvarez’s spot-kick against Real Madrid during the UEFA Champions League shootout in March.
The previous regulation, which declared the goal ineligible owing to a ‘double touch’, has been reversed.
Going forward, if a penalty taker mistakenly strikes the ball with both feet and scores, the penalty will be retaken rather than ruled invalid, a significant change from the previous rules, which treated such efforts as misses.
The original ruling contributed to Atlético Madrid’s elimination from the competition, causing the club to file a formal protest with UEFA.
In reaction, UEFA referred the matter to FIFA and the International Football Association Board, the body responsible for football’s rulebook.
Following deliberations, IFAB stated that, “When the penalty taker accidentally kicks the ball with both feet simultaneously or the ball touches their non-kicking foot or leg immediately after the kick: If the kick is successful, it is retaken rather than ruled out.
“If the kick is unsuccessful, an indirect free kick is awarded (unless the referee plays advantage when it clearly benefits the defending team), or, in the case of penalties (penalty shoot-out), the kick is recorded as missed.
“This situation is rare, and as it is not directly covered in Law 14, referees have understandably tended to penalise the kicker for having touched the ball again before it has touched another player, thus awarding an indirect free kick to the opposition or, in the case of penalties (penalty shoot-out), recording the kick as missed.”
This change resolves concerns regarding fairness and aligns the legislation with the realities of match scenarios, where such unintended consequences might occur under pressure.
Julián Álvarez felt he had successfully converted his penalty during Atlético Madrid’s Champions League round-of-16 second-leg shootout against Real Madrid, with the scoreboard temporarily displaying a 2-2 tie.
But the celebrations were short-lived. Real Madrid players quickly appealed, claiming Álvarez had made initial contact with the ball using his standing foot.
A VAR review confirmed the double touch, and referee Szymon Marciniak ruled out the goal.
Following the call, Atlético missed more penalties, allowing Los Blancos to progress to the quarter-finals.
