In the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Argentina had two penalty shootouts with the Netherlands and France.

Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez performed exceptionally well by using various “unorthodox” techniques to disrupt the opponents. These included intentionally kicking the ball away to delay the opponents’ penalty kick, intimidating opponents with a fierce look, and making funny expressions and movements on the goal line to distract opponents.

With his magical performance, Argentina won the World Cup for the first time in 36 years.

However, we may never see these scenes again because the International Football Association Board (IFAB) has announced an increase in regulations on the goalkeeper’s behavior during penalty shootouts. The new rules will come into effect on July 1. The old rule was: “When defending a penalty, the goalkeeper must remain on the goal line between the two goal posts and face the penalty taker. The goalkeeper cannot touch the goalposts, crossbar, or net until the ball is kicked.” The new rule states: “The goalkeeper must not in any way distract the penalty taker, for example by delaying the kick or touching the goalposts, crossbar or net.”

The various ways in which goalkeepers and penalty takers disrupt each other have always been one of the most important tactics for both sides. Penalty takers can deceive goalkeepers by changing their rhythm or pretending to look in another direction, while goalkeepers can disrupt shooters with various expressions and movements, such as walking back and forth on the goal line, shaking or moving the crossbar, or making faces at the shooter.

In my opinion, the “unorthodox” techniques of the goalkeeper are also the most indispensable and dramatic part of penalty shootouts.

As a fan, I want to see the psychological game between the players before the penalty kick because mental toughness is also a key to victory. 

In a Milan derby in 2012, AC Milan was awarded a penalty. Milan’s forward, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, walked up to take the penalty, and Inter Milan’s goalkeeper, Julio Cesar, walked up and whispered a few words to his former teammate and made a face in an attempt to disrupt Ibrahimovic’s penalty. However, the Swede seemed not to be distracted and responded with an even more exaggerated face. Later, Ibrahimovic withstood the pressure and scored the penalty. Such scenes drew cheers from the audience as the fans always enjoy such moments.

As a fan, I also want to see interesting expressions and movements from both sides during the penalty shootout, which have always been a topic of conversation. 

In the 2005 Champions League final, Liverpool goalkeeper, Jerzy Dudek, successfully disrupted AC Milan’s Andrea Pirlo and Andriy Shevchenko with an interesting “spaghetti dance” and saved their penalties, helping Liverpool win the championship. Nearly twenty years later, when people talked about the thrilling 2005 Champions League final, they not only talked about the comeback, but also remembered Dudek’s brilliant dance moves.

As a fan, I also hope to see penalty kicks as a fair competition. While it is a punishment for the team that is penalized, goalkeepers and penalty takers should still have the same rights. However, after the new rules were announced, penalty shootouts seemed to have become a one-sided competition, with goalkeepers having to stand on the goal line and wait, while penalty takers can still use various movements to deceive the goalkeeper. 

Penalty shootouts have already been a punishment that the conceding team can almost certainly expect, and the new rules make them even more predictable. We don’t want to see the rules deprive penalty shootouts of their uncertainty and excitement. As AC Milan and French national team goalkeeper Mike Maignan mocked on his Twitter, “New IFAB penalty rules 2026: Goalkeepers must have their backs to the shot. If the penalty is saved, the opposition gets an indirect free kick.” 

For every soccer lover, penalty shootouts should not lose the enjoyment they already have.