The International Football Association Board (IFAB) has issued a new clarification on penalty rules following a controversial moment in the Champions League that left fans stunned and players bewildered.
In a high-stakes last-16 shootout between Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid, former Manchester City striker Julián Álvarez found himself at the heart of an unusual VAR decision that proved decisive.
Álvarez, now playing for Atletico, stepped up to take a crucial penalty with the shootout level at 1-1.
The Argentine slipped as he struck the ball but still managed to send it soaring into the top-left corner, seemingly levelling the shootout at 2-2.
However, moments before Federico Valverde converted Real’s next spot-kick, referee Szymon Marciniak signalled that Álvarez’s effort had been disallowed following a VAR check.
Replays showed Álvarez had made two involuntary touches in one movement while slipping, violating penalty rules.
Under the existing Law 14.1 of IFAB’s Laws of the Game, a player is not permitted to play the ball a second time until it has touched another player.
That law traditionally applies to rebounds off the post or bar, but in Álvarez’s case, it was triggered by a double contact in the same motion.
In response to the incident and others like it, IFAB have now formally clarified how double touches during penalties are to be handled.
According to the new guidance:
If a player involuntarily touches the ball twice before another player does and scores, the penalty will be retaken.
If the ball does not enter the goal, the opposing team will be awarded an indirect free-kick.
In the case of penalty shootouts, any double touch, regardless of outcome, will be recorded as a miss with no retake allowed.
These updated laws aim to reduce ambiguity and ensure consistency in officiating across all levels of the game.
Read the full statement of IFAB below:
FKA
Watch as Techiman Eleven Wonders crowned 2025 Division One League Champions
