Goalkeepers who like to indulge in the art of gamesmanship on penalty kicks will soon find their job is about to get a lot harder.
That's because the International Football Association Board (IFAB) is set to bring in a series of rules changes ahead of the new season that includes what a goalkeeper can and can't do from a spot-kick. And distracting the penalty-taker is seemingly off the table.
As laid out in the IFAB's law changes 2023/24 report, Law 14 'The penalty kick' states: "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."