FIFA considers major change to penalty kick rules

FIFA is planning to introduce changes to the rules governing penalty kicks, Bild reports.

According to sources, under the new proposed rule, if a goalkeeper saves a penalty, play will stop immediately and a free kick will be awarded to the defending team in front of the goal, regardless of where the ball lands. In other words, a saved penalty will no longer remain in play — similar to the procedure used in a penalty shootout.

If the rule comes into force, no players will be positioned around the penalty area during a penalty kick. If the ball crosses the goal line, a goal will be awarded. If not, the goalkeeper’s team will gain possession and restart play with a free kick.

However, it remains unclear how play would proceed if the ball hits the post or crossbar and rebounds back into the field.

The new rule must be approved by the International Football Association Board (IFAB) before it can be implemented. If adopted at IFAB’s annual meeting, it will first be introduced on a trial basis. Only after successful testing could it become a standard rule in all competitions.

It was also reported that FIFA President Gianni Infantino met in New York with Alejandro Dominguez, president of the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL), and several South American football federation presidents to discuss a proposal to expand the number of teams in the 2030 Men’s World Cup to 64.

                                                         Diyor Toshpulatov