UEFA to Discuss Penalty Rules with IFAB After Controversial Alvarez Call
European football's governing body UEFA has announced it will enter discussions with football's lawmakers regarding penalty rules following a controversial incident during Atletico Madrid's Champions League elimination.
The controversy occurred during a penalty shootout in Atletico's last-16 tie against city rivals Real Madrid. Argentine forward Julian Alvarez slipped before converting his spot kick past goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, but the goal was subsequently disallowed after a VAR review determined that Alvarez had touched the ball twice during his kick - a violation of the current rules.
According to Article 14.1 of the International Football Association Board's (IFAB) laws, "The kicker must not play the ball again until it has touched another player." In this case, the rule was applied correctly as Alvarez's slip caused him to make contact with the ball twice during his kicking motion.
In a statement released Thursday, UEFA acknowledged the correct application of the current rule but indicated a willingness to review situations where a double touch is "clearly unintentional."
"Under the current rule (Laws of the Game, Law 14.1), the VAR had to call the referee signalling that the goal should be disallowed," UEFA stated.
The decision proved costly for Atletico Madrid, who went on to lose the shootout 4-2, extending their disappointing record in penalty shootouts against their city rivals. The loss marked Atletico's sixth consecutive penalty shootout defeat to Real Madrid across all competitions.
The incident has sparked debate about whether the laws should be amended to account for situations where a player accidentally touches the ball twice due to a slip or similar unintentional circumstance during a penalty kick.
