Khaberni - Press reports have revealed that the International Football Federation (FIFA) hopes to amend the rules governing penalty kicks before the start of the World Cup 2026 playoff rounds.
According to "The Athletic," under the proposed amendments, which are still awaiting approval from the FIFA Council responsible for enacting the rules of the game, only one draw will be conducted before the penalty kicks instead of two.
According to current "IFAB" regulations, the referee must conduct two draws: the first to determine which team will take the first kick, and the second to decide the goal where the kicks will be executed.
If the FIFA proposal is approved, the team that wins the draw will choose either to execute first or second, or choose the goal where the kicks will be executed.
This will prevent a repeat of what happened in the UEFA Champions League final, where Paris Saint-Germain was able to choose both the execution order and the goal after winning both draws.
It is still unclear whether these amendments, if adopted, will become mandatory in all football competitions, or if their application will be left to the discretion of the organizing bodies of the tournaments.
Should the new rules be applied before the start of the 32-round of the World Cup on June 28, they must be approved by "IFAB" before that date.
