SOCCER
Clever penalty goes viral - but was it legal?
It takes super skills to score a penalty like this one, which went viral on social media, but should it have been a goal?
The penalty taker steps up, cheekily flicks the ball up with his other leg, rabona-style, and then slots it past the despairing keeper with his other leg. Neat skills. But don’t expect to see Haaland, Mbappé or Kane trying it any time soon, because the goal wouldn’t count. Law 14: The Penalty Kick makes it quite clear that, “The kicker must not play the ball again until it has touched another player.” Two touches and peep, peep, no goal.
We’d also note that the penalty kick appeared to be taken from very close to the goal...