IFAB updates laws on penalty kicks after Alvarez's UCL incident: Rule-change explained
The laws of football on taking a penalty kick were clarified on Tuesday after Julián Álvarez's accidental double touch helped to eliminate Atletico Madrid from the Champions League.
What is the update?
The update published by FIFA-backed rules panel IFAB means the kind of penalty Átletico forward Álvarez had disallowed after scoring in a shootout against Real Madrid in March should now be retaken.
Álvarez slipped and kicked the ball against his standing left foot in the shootout in the Champions League round of 16.
FILE - Atletico Madrid's Julian Alvarez falls to the ground after taking a penalty kick during a shootout at the end of the Champions League round of 16, second leg, soccer match between Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid at the Metropolitano stadium in Madrid, Spain, on March 12, 2025. | Photo Credit: AP
After the looping ball beat Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois for an apparent score, a video review ruled out the goal, and Atletico ultimately lost the shootout.
The laws of football relating to the penalty kick and penalty shootout were seen as correctly applied in Madrid in March, though too vaguely worded.
The incident was widely judged to have been unfair as Álvarez did not deliberately slip and take the double touch to gain an advantage.
What did IFAB say?
'This situation is rare, and as it is not directly covered in Law 14, referees have understandably tended to penalize the kicker,' IFAB said in a statement. 'However, this part of Law 14 is primarily intended for situations where the penalty taker deliberately touches the ball a second time before it has touched another player.'
IFAB clarified in a circular letter to football stakeholders that a penalty kick, which is scored now after an accidental double touch, should be retaken.
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A double-touch penalty that is not scored will not be retaken. In a shootout, such a penalty 'is recorded as missed,' IFAB said, and during regulation time or extra time, a free kick can be awarded to the defending team.
The clarified rule will apply at the Club World Cup, which starts on June 14 in the United States. The 32-team lineup includes Atletico.
IFAB is comprised of FIFA plus the four British football federations. Rules can be changed with six of the eight votes, which are distributed by four to FIFA and one each to the British.
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