Uefa to ask for review of double touch rule on penalties after Alvarez incident
Uefa is to ask for a review of the double touch rule on penalty kicks, after “clearly unintentional” contact from Julián Alvarez cost Atlético Madrid in their last-16 Champions League shootout.
Alvarez touched the ball with both his right and left foot in scoring past Real Madrid’s Thibaut Courtois on Wednesday. A VAR check overturned the strike, giving Madrid a slender advantage they went on to convert into victory.
According to the law-making body Ifab, the International Football Association Board, if the kicker “commits an offence, their kick is recorded as missed” during a shootout. Under the laws relating to penalty kicks in regulation time the taker commits an offence if their touch makes the ball “clearly” move and they play it again before it has touched another player.
Uefa said the decision to overturn was a marginal call and that it hoped to speak to Fifa and Ifab.
“Atlético de Madrid enquired with Uefa over the incident, which led to the disallowance of the kick from the penalty mark taken by Julián Alvarez at the end of yesterday’s Uefa Champions League match against Real Madrid,” Uefa said.
“Although minimal, the player made contact with the ball using his standing foot before kicking it, as shown in the attached video clip. Under the current rule, the VAR had to call the referee signalling that the goal should be disallowed.
“Uefa will enter discussions with Fifa and Ifab to determine whether the rule should be reviewed in cases where a double touch is clearly unintentional.”
Atlético have lost against their city rivals in each of their six encounters in European competition. Madrid will contest their 12th quarter-final in the past 15 seasons when they face Arsenal next month, with the first leg at the Emirates Stadium on 8 April and the return on 16 April.
