Football could see one of its oldest rules abolished in time for the next World Cup. According to reports in Times London, proposals have been put forth to The International Football Association Board to disallow taking rebounds from penalty kicks. The suggestion, if ratified, means the penalty-taker or his teammate cannot have a second attempt on goal if the initial shot is saved or it cannons back from some part of the post. Basically, penalties would be one-shot affairs, as during shootouts in knockout games.
One of its fiercest advocates has been the legendary Italian referee Pierluigi Collina. “I believe there is an excessive gap between the opportunities available to the attacker and those of the goalkeeper,” Collina once told Repubblica.
The rule has fashioned some of the most iconic moments in the game, like the Xabi Alonso’s goal in Liverpool’s Miracle of Istanbul, when AC Milan’s goal goalkeeper Dida saved the Spaniard’s first attempt but latched on to rebound, which completed the Reds’ comeback from 3-0 to 3-3. The scoreline remained thus and Liverpool won in the shootout.
He details the extra advantage the team gets. “On average, 75% of penalties are already scored, and often, the penalty kick is a bigger chance than the one taken away by the foul. On top of that, the attacker is also given a chance to play the rebound off the goalkeeper. In my opinion, goalkeepers should be complaining. I’ve already mentioned this in discussions we’ve had at IFAB,” he elaborated.
He floats one-shot-rule as the solution. “One solution is the ‘one shot’ rule. Just like in penalty shootouts after extra time. No rebound. Either you score or play resumes with a goal kick, period. This would also eliminate the spectacle we see before a penalty is taken, with everyone crowding around the area. It looks like horses at the starting gates before the Palio di Siena,” he detailed.
If the penalty taker misses, the ball will be assumed dead and the defending team would be awarded a goal-kick. The move, experts reckon, could prevent overcrowding, and thus time wasting, before the kick.
But the rule-tweak would not be implemented straightaway. Usually, the proposal is placed during IFAB’s annual business meeting in November and are then voted on at the AGM in March. Historically, the IFAB has been conservative and passes a rule after detailing trialling. But in recent times, it has been liberal with radical rule changes.
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
