Crystal Palace were allowed to re-take their penalty against Manchester United after a double-touch from taker and goalscorer Jean Philippe-Mateta. But he was only allowed to do so thanks to a rule change in recent months.
The old law gained criticism after Atletico Madrid were eliminated from the Champions League by Real Madrid in March during a penalty shootout. In that game, Julian Alvarez's penalty was chalked off for a double-touch effort, after he slipped while taking his spot kick, which looped over goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
Although the laws were seen as correctly applied, it was determined that they were too vaguely worded. In a statement, the International Football Association Board (IFAB) said: "This situation is rare, and as it is not directly covered in Law 14, referees have understandably tended to penalize the kicker. However, this part of Law 14 is primarily intended for situations where the penalty taker deliberately touches the ball a second time before it has touched another player."
Rule Change Was Made for 2025/26
Consequently, IFAB updated the ruling on the 1st July, with the Premier League adopting the new law. Under the new guidelines: "An accidental double touch of a penalty by the kicker would mean that the spot-kick should be retaken. A deliberate touch will see an indirect free-kick awarded to the defending team."
The new rule is only applied if the penalty is converted, with unsuccessful spot kicks not being retaken. Consequently, Mateta was forced to re-take his penalty against United, although he made no error in his second attempt and put Palace in front once again.
Watch Mateta's Double Touch Below:
More to follow...