IFAB will change the regulations as a result of Julián Álvarez's penalty against Real Madrid

Almost three months after the annulment of the penalty taken by Julián Álvarez in the shootout against Real Madrid in the Champions League, the International Football Association Board issued a statement regarding the rule that applies in these situations.

Through a statement, IFAB questioned the fairness of refereeing decisions of this kind, which it considers contrary to the spirit of the rule. The document begins by stating: "IFAB wishes to clarify Law 10 – Determining the Outcome of a Match and Law 14 – The Penalty Kick in relation to the situation in which the kicker accidentally strikes the ball with both feet simultaneously or when the ball touches the kicker's foot or leg immediately after taking the kick".

Likewise, the official text emphasizes: "This situation is rare and, since it is not directly addressed in Law 14, referees have understandably tended to penalize the kicker for touching the ball again before it has touched another player, thus awarding an indirect free kick to the opposing team or, in the case of penalties (penalty shootout), recording the kick as missed".

For this reason, the international body wanted to make clear how to proceed: "If the penalty taker accidentally kicks the ball with both feet simultaneously or the ball touches his or her unused foot or leg immediately after the kick, and the ball goes in, the kick will be retaken".

"If the shot doesn't result in a goal, an indirect free kick will be awarded(unless the referee applies advantage when it clearly benefits the defending team) or, in the case of penalties (penalty shootout), the kick will be recorded as missed", they concluded.

According to the same body, these regulatory changes will take effect in all competitions starting July 1, so the June FIFA date and the Club World Cup will continue with the regulations that have been in force until now.

Julián Álvarez's opinion

On March 22, ten days after the penalty, the Argentine forward addressed the situation and the subsequent annulment of the shot. "I watched it a thousand times. There are videos everywhere. I didn't feel the ball. If there were two touches, the contact is minimal and it's very difficult to perceive", stated the Atlético de Madrid striker as he left Estadio Centenario in Uruguay.

During that same statement, he called for a review of the regulations and demanded greater precision in their wording: "The rules should be a bit clearer, because I'm not trying to gain an advantage".

"For example, when the goalkeeper steps forward and saves the penalty, the kick is retaken. This is not to gain any advantage. It's a shame what happened", he concluded.