Premier League: New season, new laws – what is changing this season?

A rare one that may well not be needed all season in the Premier League, but players will be allowed to retake a penalty if they accidental touch it twice while kicking it… so long as the effort went in.

The new law has already been used this summer in the Women’s European Championship final penalty shootout.

England’s Beth Mead slipped with a double touch as she scored a penalty in the shootout against Spain – and had to retake it, with her second effort saved by keeper Cata Coll.

But under the old laws she would not even have been allowed to retake it as it would have gone down as a miss.

A high-profile incident also involved Atletico Madrid forward Julian Alvarez last season. He slipped as he took a penalty in a Champions League shootout against Real Madrid with the ball making slight contact with his standing leg.

The goal was not given, Alvarez was not allowed a retake and Atletico lost the shootout and the tie.

Now – as with Mead – that would be retaken, so long as it is clearly unintentional. If the kick is missed and in general play – like in a Premier League game – then the defending team would have an indirect free-kick.

This rule change is “sensible”, according to former assistant referee Cann.

“Should a penalty taker accidentally have two touches and score, the penalty will be retaken [instead of an indirect free-kick being awarded],” he said.

“This was as a result of Julian Alvarez’s accidental ‘two-touch penalty’ in the Champions League last season. This can be very difficult to detect for the on-field referee, so is always checked by the VAR in case of a double touch.”