The International Football Association Board (IFAB) has released an official announcement clarifying the rules regarding players touching the ball twice during a penalty kick.
The announcement states that if a player unintentionally touches the ball a second time during a penalty attempt and the ball is ultimately scored, the decision should be a retake of the penalty rather than directly disallowing the goal. This clarification overturns the previous interpretation that automatically ruled out goals in such scenarios.
This ruling has direct implications for a controversial incident in the UEFA Champions League knockout stage between Atlético Madrid and Real Madrid. Atlético's player Julián Álvarez had a penalty goal disallowed in a shootout due to the "double touch" rule. Under the new clarification, however, it should have resulted in a retake rather than the goal being invalidated.
FAB's update aims to ensure greater consistency in refereeing decisions by distinguishing between intentional and unintentional double touches, prioritizing fairness in match outcomes. The clarification will apply to all competitions governed by FIFA rules, effective immediately.
