IFAB may look at laws of the game after Everton draw v Chelsea in Premier League
IFAB may have to look at the penalty laws yet again, after Kai Havertz’s stuttering kick against Everton on Saturday [18 March], according to Daily Mail journalist Matt Barlow.
The International Football Association board made the decision to force goalkeepers to be pinned on the lines when coming up against penalties.
And Barlow believes that they may have to revisit similar laws after Havertz’s “heavy” pause up against Jordan Pickford to put Chelsea ahead in their 2-2 draw.
He said in his The Verdict column for the Daily Mail print, [20 March, page 16], “As it stands, players can feint all they want during the run-up but not on the final stride before the kick.
“Kai Havertz maximised it with a heavy pause on his penultimate stride against Everton on Saturday, and he is not the only one. It might be time for IFAB’s lawmakers to revisit the rules.”
Consider change
Maybe it is time for IFAB to revisit those rules as goalkeepers are at a massive disadvantage now when coming up against those kinds of spot kicks.
However many fans would argue that the board could be about to ruin the game if they impose a rule on how footballers should take penalties.
The beauty of penalties is that they are a lottery for both the penalty taker and the goalkeeper, as anyone of them have the opportunity to become the hero so a penalty taker must use every tool at his disposal to fool the goalkeeper.
But does that have to come at the expense of the keeper having to stick to his line to try and save a spot-kick?
The initial decision did make sense as goalkeepers could be so cheeky as to walk up to the shot and save it, but if players are continuing to heavily feint their penalties then IFAB certainly will have to have a look at the laws once again.