It was a penalty that stirred uproar across Madrid and beyond. In one of the most high-stakes UEFA Champions League knockout matches in recent memory, Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvarez appeared to have coolly converted a spot-kick against Real Madrid. But the celebration quickly turned to disbelief. Following a VAR review, the referee ruled the goal out due to what was deemed a “double touch” — a rare and technical infringement — effectively sealing Atletico’s elimination from the tournament.
The decision sparked immediate controversy, and now, months later, the game’s rulemakers have issued a remarkable admission: they were wrong.
The International Football Association Board (IFAB), the FIFA-backed panel responsible for the Laws of the Game, has publicly conceded that the ruling on Alvarez’s penalty was incorrect. In a move that could change future outcomes, they have officially amended the rule governing so-called “double-touch” penalties, reshaping how similar incidents will be judged going forward.
What did IFAB say?
The decision to disallow Alvarez’s goal had divided pundits and fans alike. At the moment, referee Szymon Marciniak ruled that the player, having slipped during the strike, accidentally nudged the ball with his standing left foot before it ricocheted to his right for the shot — an action seen as two touches, which is prohibited under Law 14 of the Laws of the Game.
Atletico was incensed, and the fallout only grew as the club’s fans, federations, and even legal representatives questioned the interpretation of the rule. Now, with the Champions League long over, IFAB’s latest guidance has thrown the spotlight back on that moment.
“Referees have reasonably tended to penalise the taker for playing the ball twice before another player touches it,” IFAB said in its official circular. “However, this section of Law 14 was originally intended for deliberate second touches — for instance, when a player hits the post or crossbar and then plays the ball again without another touch in between.”
The board acknowledged that the original intent of Law 14 was never to punish a player for accidental touches caused by loss of balance or footing. The moment involving Alvarez, they said, was a “rare and unusual situation” that exposed the law’s limitations.
“This situation is rare, and as it is not directly covered in Law 14, referees have understandably penalized the kicker,” the statement continued. “But such scenarios should not result in disallowed goals.”
What the new rule actually states
From July 1 onwards, IFAB’s clarification will be implemented across all competitions, including the upcoming Club World Cup in the United States, where Atletico Madrid will ironically feature. Under the new guidelines:
- If a penalty is scored after an accidental double touch, it must be retaken.
- If it is missed, it will count as a miss (in shootouts), or the defending team is awarded an indirect free-kick (in regular time).
“A penalty kick that is scored now after an accidental double touch should be retaken,” the circular confirmed. “In a shootout, the attempt is to be considered missed if unsuccessful.”
The rule is clear: intention matters. Penalties that involve unintentional deflections or slips will no longer be treated the same as deliberate infractions — a small but significant shift that could prevent future miscarriages of justice.
