IFAB Reviews Double-Touch Penalty Law After Alvarez Controversy
The International Football Association Board (Ifab) has reviewed the double-touch penalty rule after Julian Alvarez’s effort was ruled out against Real Madrid in the Champions League.
The Atletico Madrid forward slipped before converting his effort while his standing leg made slight contact with the ball, and it was ruled out by the VAR for double touch.
Aftermath of the encounter, Atletico Madrid reached out to UEFA to seek explanation on the decision to disallow the goal, and the governing body stated that under the current rule, the video assistant referee (VAR) had to call the referee signalling that the goal should be disallowed.
However, Uefa confirmed that it would enter discussions with Ifab and Fifa over cases where a double touch is clearly unintentional.
IFAB has now confirmed a review of the law, stating that accidental double-touch penalties will be allowed to be retaken – but only if the kick was successful.
IFAB’s confirmed on Tuesday in a statement on social media.
IFAB wrote: “The situation where the penalty taker accidentally kicks the ball with both feet simultaneously or when the ball touches the penalty taker’s non-kicking foot or leg immediately after they have taken the kick… is rare.
“As it is not directly covered in Law 14, referees have understandably tended to penalise the kicker for having touched the ball again.
“The law is primarily intended for situations where the penalty taker deliberately touches the ball a second time before it has touched another player.
“This is very different from the penalty taker accidentally kicking the ball with both feet simultaneously or touching the ball with their non-kicking foot or leg immediately after they have taken the kick, which usually occurs because they have slipped.”
If a kick during the game is unsuccessful, the result is an indirect free kick, as it would be for a deliberate second touch, unless the referee decides to play an advantage for the defending team. In a shootout it remains a miss.
The adjustment is expected to be implemented at the Club World Cup, which kicks off in the United States on June 15.
IFAB Reviews Double-Touch Penalty Law After Alvarez Controversy is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
