Penalties, new rules for the goalkeeper – Corriere.it

The challenge between number one and penalty takers changes, and the life of the goalkeepers will be tough from now on. All this because the Ifab, the body that writes the rules of football, has established that from next season, before a penalty, «the goalkeeper must remain on the goal line without touching the crossbar, the posts and the net. And he must not behave in such a way as to unjustly distract the kicker ». Basically, the goalkeeper will no longer be able to disturb the shooter (notify Emiliano Martinez, world champion with Argentina on December 18, 2022 in Qatar) or, to be clear, we will no longer see those historic dances on the goal line. Like that of Dudek, who hypnotized the AC Milan players on 25 May 2005 in Istanbul to give Liverpool the Champions League after a comeback from 3-0 to 3-3. It’s yet another hard life for goalkeepers, who in 1992 were forbidden to collect a back pass with their hands. The challenge against the goalkeepers was then carried on with shots hurled with ever lighter and faster balls, up to the total block during penalties.

Mike Maignan, goalkeeper of Milan and owner of France (a great protagonist against Eire with an extraordinary save), provoked the world by saying that one day the goalkeepers will be ordered to save a penalty with their backs to the shooter. Maybe (better to use the word maybe) it won’t come to all of this, but in the meantime the change is still tough. We will no longer see that strategic championship of tricks on which many referees so far closed their eyes, which with the change introduced in the dictation of the rule 14 in paragraph 1 it will no longer be possible. The old rule read as follows: “The defending goalkeeper must remain on the goal line, facing the kicker, between the posts, without touching the posts, the crossbar or the net, until the ball has been kicked”.

The new text gives the referee the ability to stop any behavior by the goalkeeper he deems to be unsportsmanlike: «The defending goalkeeper must remain on the goal line, facing the kicker, between the posts, until the ball is kicked. The goalkeeper must not behave in such a way as to distract the player in an unfair manner, for example by delaying the execution of the kick or by touching the posts, the crossbar or the goal». The Ifab has specified how important correctness will be: “It is clarified that the goalkeeper must not behave in a way that does not show respect for the game and for the opponent, i.e. by unjustly distracting the player”. What will be the next change?