FIFA moves to rewrite penalty shoot-out rules mid-World Cup after coin-toss controversy

FIFA is seeking to alter the laws governing penalty shoot-outs mid-tournament at the 2026 World Cup, with discussions already held between the governing body and football’s law-making authority, the International FA Board (IFAB), according to a report by The Times.

Under the current rules, two separate coin tosses take place before a shoot-out: one to determine which team takes the first kick, and a second to decide which end the penalties are taken at. FIFA believes this arrangement is unfair because it can hand both advantages to the same team.

The proposed change would replace the double toss with a single coin flip. The winning team would choose either to go first or to select the end, with the losing team automatically receiving the remaining option. FIFA views this as a more balanced approach to organising shoot-outs.

For the new rule to apply across the entire knockout stage, IFAB would need to approve the change before the first last-16 match on Sunday. The compressed timeline makes the decision unusually urgent, with officials effectively being asked to rewrite the laws of the game while the tournament is already in progress.

The push for reform follows scrutiny of the coin-toss system — an issue that gained wider attention after an incident involving Arsenal, though the precise details of that case were not provided in full by the source. The story continues to develop ahead of Sunday’s deadline.