Today's Edition
London (PA Media/dpa)
Accidental 'double touch' penalty kicks will be able to be retaken from July 1 if the kick was successful, the game's lawmakers have said.
European football's governing body UEFA asked for the laws concerning these rare instances to be reviewed after Atletico Madrid forward Julian Alvarez had a spot-kick disallowed in a shoot-out against Real Madrid in the Champions League last 16 in March.
The Argentinian slipped and his standing leg made slight contact with the ball. Real went on to win the shoot-out.
The International Football Association Board (IFAB), which sets the sport's laws, has now issued a clarification to Law 14.
The law does not directly cover what to do in the event of an accidental double touch, and the IFAB said referees had "understandably" been penalising all such touches up to this point.
However, the IFAB said Law 14's primary purpose was to deal with deliberate double touches and a clarification has now been issued to all national associations and confederations.
The IFAB acknowledges it would be unfair not to penalise a double touch at all and allow such kicks to stand as a goal, because goalkeepers can be disadvantaged by the altered trajectory of the ball.
However, it has now clarified that where an accidental 'double touch' kick is scored, it should be retaken. Where such kicks are unsuccessful, they should either result in an indirect free-kick if they occur during a match, or recorded as missed if they occur in a shoot-out.
