Women's World Cup: Rule on encroachment during penalty shootouts suspended
- Published
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A rule that states goalkeepers at the 2019 Women's World Cup must be cautioned for encroachment at penalties has been suspended for shootouts.
Under new guidelines, keepers at this tournament are booked if they come off their line prior to a penalty kick.
So far, three players have been shown yellow cards for breaking the rule.
But football's law makers say having it in place for penalty shootouts risks "unfairly distorting" the outcome if a goalkeeper is sent off.
The request for the temporary suspension of the law, which will remain in place for the remainder of the tournament, was made by Fifa to the International Football Association Board.
In explaining their decision to approve the request, IFAB accepted that the presence of VARs greatly increases the likelihood of any offence being detected and, as goalkeepers are likely to face a number of kicks during a shootout, there is a higher risk that a goalkeeper will be sent off for receiving a second caution if already cautioned in normal time.
Goalkeepers can still be booked for coming off their line if a penalty is awarded during normal and extra time.
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