Other Games 2025-26

[adrenachrome]

Why does it need changing?

It stops all the nonsense of players encroaching and squabbling on the edge of the box prior to it being taken which in turn allows the officials to concentrate on the penalty itself and hopefully avoid the ten minute wait between the offence happening and the kick being taken.

Yes.

Unless VAR becomes involved, the Referee and one Assistant have to make sure there is no encroachment and the GK doesn't make a move forward from the line before the ball is kicked.

And then there is the usual jostling which occurs in all dead ball situations which threaten a goal.

[JUAN PABLO]

I don't mind it. But my priority would be banning stuttered run-ups.

That I agree with .

[brontebilly]

No, because a free kick is clearly not the same as a penalty. Also the player taking the free kick doesn't have the advantage of being nearest the ball for a likely rebound.

That's kind of how the penalty concept is meant to work, every advantage should be given the team denied the obvious goalscoring opportunity.

[paul_e]

I don't care if they change it or not but I can see the benefits. It needs to come with some changes to the run up though because the stuttering bullshit is clearly the biggest problem with penalties.

[cdbearsfan]

No, because a free kick is clearly not the same as a penalty. Also the player taking the free kick doesn't have the advantage of being nearest the ball for a likely rebound.

That's kind of how the penalty concept is meant to work, every advantage should be given the team denied the obvious goalscoring opportunity.

Just give the goal then, like a penalty try, and save us all five minutes of our lives.

[paul_e]

How many penalties are for a team being denied an 'obvious goalscoring opportunity' though? At least as many are innocuous challenges on the edge of the box where there's nothing on and the attacker feels contact and goes down easily.

All set pieces are giving the attacking team a small advantage which leads to a slightly higher chance of a goal, penalties are probably too high a chance right now, which, if anything, encourages diving and stops players from trying to score in open play if there is an opportunity to 'earn' a penalty.

[john e]

Always amazes me how Top strikers can’t just put the ball down Take a run up and cleanly hit the ball to one side of the goalkeeper when taking a penalty.

The best penalty takers Ronaldo and Kane just hit it hard and low and there’s a 90% + chance it’s going in
Those players that do all that pissing about hop, skipping and jumping are just not confident enough to strike the ball well and lack technique , if I was a manager I wouldn’t allow anyone doing that to take a penalty

Even a bad penalty has a 50% chance of going in, that’s how they get away with it
If you cannot hit it properly fuck off

[ADVILLAFAN]

League Cup starts on Tuesday. Football never stops.

[VillaTim]

Why does it need changing?

It doesn't , but we have the department of ruin looking at all angles .

[VillaTim]

I like it, I've decided. Attacker still gets a chance to score, but only one chance. Doesn't sound that bad to me.

Nah. One of the most stupid ideas yet .

[PeterWithesShin]

Banning the taker from doing anything but a straight run up with no faltering, no hops, no bullshit would be great, Banning rebounds is stupid, the ball is in play.

[pauliewalnuts]

I don't care if they change it or not but I can see the benefits. It needs to come with some changes to the run up though because the stuttering bullshit is clearly the biggest problem with penalties.

I have said this on here at least 100 times, but I fully lay the blame for this at the feet of John Aldridge, the inventor of the stuttering penalty kick.

You are right, Paul, stop this bullshit right now, it's absolutely out of control.