ISF Changes Rules On Unique Socca Penalty

The ISF has decided to change its Socca Penalty rule for 2026.

The unique shoot out, in operation for almost three years, has been warmly received by all countries, and has created exciting match finales, especially in the knockout stages of ISF competitions.

However, the rule has been tweaked slightly to allow for a 20 second, rather than a 10 second window for the attaching player in which to score.

Tournament Director Mareks Kere explained: “We have found in previous tournaments that there has been confusion due to external noise, especially when conducting the shoot out in situations where there is a packed stadium, and this was highlighted most recently at the World Championships in Cancun when there was some controversy over the timings because nobody heard the referee whistle”.

“Changing from 10 to 20 seconds simply means that it is more likely the Socca Penalty ends with the ball going out of play, or being ‘dead’, as it does in most circumstances, rather than relying on a timing function which needs to be very precise and is open to challenge.”

“By extending the time, and analysing previous tournaments, by allowing longer it doesn’t necessarily disadvantage the goalkeeper but means it is far more likely that the ‘end point’ will be when the ball is out of play or ‘dead’, which makes the rule better”.

The new change comes into effect immediately, and will be a new addition to the 2026 rules.