IFAB Acknowledges Julián Álvarez's Penalty Should Have Been Retaken and Clarifies the Rule

Nearly three months have passed, and the result remains unchanged, as Enrique Cerezo acknowledges to justify Atlético de Madrid's lack of protest to UEFA, according to their fans. However, the most controversial penalty in history, annulled by Polish referee Marciniak at the VAR's behest, still lingers. From next season, a penalty like Julián Álvarez's, disallowed for a double touch and leading to Real Madrid's quarter-final advancement, must be retaken and not deemed missed.

This is determined by IFAB, FIFA's body responsible for setting the rules of the game, in a circular sent this Monday to all national federations and football confederations. It clarifies that Rule 14, concerning penalty kicks during matches and decisive shootouts, acknowledges the injustice in the penalty annulled against the Argentine forward and specifies that the rule was intended for "voluntary" touches. From next season, if the ball enters the goal after an unintentional double touch, the penalty must be retaken.

There was tremendous controversy, or at least confusion, during the penalty shootout in the round of 16 between Atlético de Madrid and Real Madrid. With a 2-1 score in the decisive shootout, Julián Álvarez took the second penalty for Atlético, scoring an equaliser with a mishit due to an unfortunate slip. The ball went in, and the Metropolitano celebrated... until the referee, Polish Marciniak, made a gesture that caused the entire stadium to hold its breath. The referee was decisive, annulling the goal and ruling it as missed. The reason: the video assistant referee observed that the forward had touched the ball twice during the slip, making the shot illegal.

Regarding a situation like Julián's in the Champions League round of 16, where the penalty taker inadvertently strikes the ball with both feet simultaneously or the ball touches the supporting foot or leg immediately after shooting, IFAB recognises it as an "unusual situation". Since it is not directly regulated in Rule 14, "referees have understandably opted to penalise the taker for playing the ball a second time before another player touches it." Thus, they award an indirect free kick to the opposing team or, in penalty shootouts, record the attempt as missed.

However, IFAB clarifies that this section of the rule is "primarily intended for situations where the penalty taker voluntarily plays the ball a second time before another player touches it (for example, after rebounding off the posts or crossbar without touching the goalkeeper)." It insists that this situation "is very different from when the taker inadvertently strikes the ball with both feet simultaneously or when the ball touches the supporting foot or leg immediately after the shot, often occurring because the taker slips at the moment of striking."

In any case, the institution argues that "it would not be fair not to penalise this double touch, as the altered trajectory of the ball can disadvantage the goalkeeper." Therefore, IFAB clarifies the procedures in the following situations: if the taker inadvertently strikes the ball with both feet simultaneously or the ball touches the supporting foot or leg immediately after the shot, it will be retaken if the ball enters the goal, and if it does not, it will be recorded as missed. It will also be deemed missed if the taker voluntarily strikes the ball with both feet simultaneously or plays it a second time intentionally before another player touches it.

Finally, IFAB establishes that the clarifying procedure will apply to competitions starting from 1 July 2025 and can also be used in all official tournaments, such as the upcoming Club World Cup, where Real Madrid and Atlético represent Spanish football, starting before that date.