Goalkeepers can’t move, touch posts, play mind games during shootouts: New rules after Argentina’s Martinez’s World Cup final antics

What Martinez’s actions did was prompt debate about whether such antics by a goalkeeper during a penalty shootout are ethical in a sporting sense.

The rule-makers have now decided they aren’t. Come July 1, goalkeepers have to adhere to a new set of rules that restrict them from “unfairly distracting the kicker”.

The rule has received a mixed response with, rather ironically, France goalkeeper Mike Maignan sarcastically tweeting that the next rule would be: “Goalkeepers must have their backs to the shot”.

What’s the new rule

The International Football Association Board (IFAB) has brought some changes to the rules meant for goalkeepers during a penalty shootout. In the IFAB’s law changes 2023/24 report, Law 14 – ‘The penalty kick’ – says: “Clarification that the goalkeeper must not behave in a manner that fails to show respect for the game and the opponent, i.e. by unfairly distracting the kicker”.

Explaining the change, the report says:

“The defending goalkeeper must remain on the goal line, facing the kicker, between the goalposts, without touching the goalposts, crossbar or goal net, until the ball is kicked.”

The law adds “The goalkeeper must not behave in a way that unfairly distracts the kicker, e.g. delay the taking of the kick or touch the goalposts, crossbar or goal net.”

Four things goalkeepers cannot do:

Touch goalposts and nets

It’s become somewhat of a tradition that goalkeepers, ahead of shootouts or before a decisive penalty, kiss the posts or the crossbar. Some ‘keepers even pull the net. Some of the great goalkeepers, like former Germany skipper Oliver Kahn or Italian World Cup-winning custodian Gianluigi Buffon, always touched both posts before a shootout and so followed the tradition among budding goalkeepers.
That, however, will have to change as the new rules want the goalkeeper going straight to the goalline.

Delay execution of the penalty

Penalty shootouts are largely a psychological battle. The pressure of taking a kick with the eyes of everyone in the stadium and millions at home focused on you can be nerve-racking. Coaches often tell the players to zone the noise out, place the ball and go for the kick. The longer one takes to kick, the more the nerves kick in. Goalkeepers are quite aware of this and more often than not, try to delay the attempt.

Unfairly distract the kicker

If the World Cup final shootouts have shown us anything, it is how unsettling it can be for the kicker if they are distracted. Before Tchouameni’s kick, Martinez simply walked away with the ball at first, as though it was his own. He took his time with it while urging the Argentine supporters to roar. Then, rather than passing the ball to Tchouameni, Martinez threw it away, forcing France players to go fetch the ball. If that’s not all, Martinez smiled smugly at Tchouameni when he was ready to shoot.

Martinez’s tactics may have been considered a little extreme, but as per the new rules, even slightly distracting the player taking a kick isn’t allowed.

Behaviours that fail to show respect

Goalkeepers like to assert authority and in doing so, often disrespect the penalty-taker. This happens especially while celebrating wildly after making a save. There have been instances of goalkeepers even making offensive gestures. This rule also means that goalkeepers cannot boo the opposition supporters or the goalkeeper of the opposing team.

Response to the rule change

While a number of users on social media slammed the IFAB for not allowing goalkeepers “any freedom”, it was very aptly put by AC Milan goalkeeper Maignan, whose tongue-in-cheek take got about 3 million views on Twitter.

“New IFAB penalty rules 2026: Goalkeepers must have their backs to the shot. If the penalty is saved, the opposition gets an indirect freekick,” he tweeted, suggesting that the rule changes work against goalkeepers.

Martinez had a more sombre reaction. “I was able to stop them (France) and help the team win, that’s enough for me. We will always have to adapt to modern rules and what FIFA wants, so there will be no problem. We will adapt,” he said.

Arsenal legend Ian Wright slammed the changes, describing them as “ridiculous”.