Rules panel aims to let goalkeepers to move more on penalty kicks

GLASGOW, Scotland — World soccer’s rule-making panel wants to give goalkeepers more freedom to move when facing a penalty.

Currently, the Laws of the Game state goalkeepers “must remain on the goal line … until the ball has been kicked.”

The panel, known as IFAB, proposed Thursday that goalkeepers should need “only one foot on the goal line when a penalty is taken.”

This would allow ‘keepers to begin moving forward earlier without risking referees ordering the kick to be retaken if they make a save.

Penalty kicks were the main focus of the International Football Association Board’s business meeting to prepare for a March 1 session when law changes can be approved. New laws will take effect June 1 — the date of the Champions League final.

Other proposals included aiming to write a more precise wording for accidental handball offenses.

“The most significant clarifications relate to ‘non-deliberate’ handball situations, where there is an unfair ‘outcome/benefit’ due to the ball making contact with a player’s hand/arm,” IFAB said.

At the World Cup in June, Portugal almost lost its place in the round of 16 when Iran was awarded a stoppage-time penalty for a handball against defender Cedric Soares. Iran scored the spot kick, then missed a clear chance to win the game.

IFAB also ended trials with the so-called ABBA order of teams taking penalties in a shootout. To relieve the pressure of one team potentially always taking spot kicks while trailing, the order could be reversed in each successive round.

“The board noted the absence of strong support, mainly because the procedure is complex, and agreed that it will no longer be a future option for competitions,” the panel said.

ITALY: Genoa’s local economy is devastated. The traffic is endless. A general sense of mourning lingers.

In the more than three months since 43 people were killed in the Morandi highway bridge collapse, Genoa’s residents have had little to smile about.

The city derby on Sunday — the first meeting between Genoa and Sampdoria since the bridge tragedy — could provide an opportunity for some relief.

“I hope the derby can produce a smile on the faces of all of Genoa’s citizens,” Sampdoria president Massimo Ferrero said.

The “Derby della Lanterna” — named for the port city’s light house — is one of the most heated intracity matchups in Italy outside of Rome and Milan.