Idman.biz
According to The Times' chief reporter Martin Ziegler, on the social media platform X, FIFA has sent an urgent inquiry to the International Football Association Board (IFAB) to change the rules for penalty shootouts.
Sport.Biz reports that the governing body of world football insists on implementing the new procedure before the start of the playoffs of the 2026 World Cup, which begins on June 28.
The reform abolishes the traditional two-coin toss (first coin toss for the goal, then the first shot) in favor of a single coin toss. According to the new rules, the captain who wins the coin toss before the game will have the first choice to either determine which team takes the first shot or choose the goal. The captain who loses the coin toss will automatically make the second decision.
FIFA justifies this by stating that the current system gives too much psychological advantage to the team that wins both tosses, such as in the recent Champions League final where "Arsenal" lost both coin tosses and fought for second place. It is expected that IFAB will review and approve the amendment in the coming days for testing in playoff matches at the 2026 World Cup.
