FIFA has made a series of rule adjustments in recent years following the introduction of VAR, giving referees more discretion in interpreting controversial plays. In what could be another significant shift, FIFA’s head of refereeing, Pierluigi Collina, is reportedly considering implementing a game-changing rule that would eliminate penalty rebounds.
Conceding a penalty is one of the harshest punishments a team can face, as spot kicks are converted roughly 76% of the time, giving the attacking side a near-certain scoring opportunity. Under the new proposal, however, goalkeepers could be rewarded for saving a penalty, with the defending team regaining possession immediately after a stop.
According to BBC Sport, Collina supports the idea of removing penalty rebounds during open play. His reasoning is that once the attacking team fails to convert such a clear scoring chance, it should not be allowed a second or third attempt if the goalkeeper saves the shot or it strikes the post.
The proposed rule would represent a major shift in favor of defending teams, who are already penalized by the awarding of a penalty. If adopted, any rebound from a missed or saved spot kick would result in play restarting with the goalkeeper in possession, a complete departure from the current system.
Liverpool’s Xabi Alonso scores the third goal against AC Milan after missing from the penalty spot.
For the 2025-26 season, the International Football Association Board (IFAB) introduced a rule change regarding double touches on penalties, following Julian Álvarez’s controversial disallowed goal in the UEFA Champions League. With the 2026 World Cup on the horizon, it remains to be seen whether further adjustments will be made, particularly within the penalty area.
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Iconic goals that would have been ruled out
According to the BBC, an average of just under three goals per season are scored from penalty rebounds. While the proposed change might not drastically alter scoring statistics, it would have erased some of soccer’s most memorable moments.
One of those moments would be Xabi Alonso’s rebound goal for Liverpool against AC Milan in the 2005 Champions League final, which completed their historic comeback. More recently, Chloe Kelly’s 119th-minute winner for England against Italy in the semifinals of Euro 2025, a tournament the Lionesses went on to win, would also have been disallowed under the new rule.
