A key ruling with penalty shootouts could be rushed through before the World Cup knockout stages start at the weekend.
The last-32 stage of the tournament begins on Sunday night (8pm, BST) and FIFA are keen to amend one element to any possible shootouts that come then and beyond.
The change? They want to ensure that there is only one coin toss – with teams choosing either to take the first spot kick or to take them in front of their own fans.
As detailed by The Times, FIFA officials have held talks with International FA Board (Ifab), the sport’s law-making body, about bringing this into effect now, despite the tournament almost a fortnight in.
The reason behind FIFA’s thinking is to make the tournament fairer from the current system of two coin tosses.
Under the current laws with penalty shootouts, the first is to determine who takes the first spot-kick and the second is to which end it is to be taken.
FIFA want to change the coin toss rule at penalty shootouts before the World Cup knockouts start – with Arsenal having lost both during their Champions League final defeat by PSG in May
As evidenced in the Champions League final last month, it is possible to lose both as the fate befell upon on Arsenal.
In a bid to avoid such circumstances again, FIFA want the loser of the first coin toss to then be able to pick the second outcome.
France won the toss and kicked first in the final of the 2022 World Cup, but Argentina triumphed in the shoot-out at the end, where the majority of fans were situated.
