New Penalty Rule: Changes After the Julián Álvarez Incident
Attention, Rojiblancos! IFAB, the governing body of football rules, has announced a significant change that will directly affect the execution of penalties.
This modification, which will come into effect in competitions starting on July 1, 2025 (although it could be implemented earlier in some), arises from the controversy generated by a penalty in the Champions League.
The new regulation focuses on cases of unintentional double touch of the ball by the kicker. Previously, this situation automatically resulted in a missed penalty, regardless of whether the contact was intentional or not.
Now, IFAB has decided that if it is proven that the double touch was unintentional and the ball ends up in a goal, the penalty will be retaken. This means that if the player unintentionally kicks the ball with both feet at the same time, or if the ball grazes their supporting foot right after the kick and ends up in a goal, there will be a new opportunity.
However, if the double touch is intentional, the previous rule will remain: an indirect free kick will be awarded to the opposing team or, in the event of a penalty shootout, it will be considered a miss.
This change seeks to add a factor of fairness to the game, preventing unintentional errors from being punished so severely. We will be attentive to its implementation and how it will affect Atlético de Madrid in future competitions. Keep supporting the team!
