Friday 24 June 2016 18:55, UK
Goalkeepers who move forward off their line before a penalty must be given yellow cards and the spot-kicks retaken, UEFA's refereeing chief Pierluigi Collina has said.
Collina, a former World Cup final referee, told reporters on Friday that the standard of officiating at Euro 2016 had been excellent with referees benefiting from a new pre-match analysis of team tactics and players that gives them extra insight.
But UEFA's chief refereeing officer acknowledged there had been at least one big mistake in the group stages - during the Croatia v Spain match when Croatia keeper Danijel Subasic saved a penalty after advancing well off his line.
"The keeper moved forward," Collina said. "It was not spotted by the referee's team. It was a mistake. Unfortunately it happens, but it was a mistake within a match that was refereed well."
He said the tournament's remaining 12 refereeing teams had debriefed on Friday ahead of the knockout phases and among the topics discussed was keepers moving off their line.
Collina's focus on spot-kicks comes after captain Wayne Rooney revealed he and the England squad had stepped up their penalty practice ahead of the knockout stages.
The Manchester United forward also discussed how he is practising making last-minute decisions about where to place the ball when taking penalties under big match pressures.
Collina, the most distinctive and famous referee of modern times remembered for his piercing blue eyes and bald head as well as his quality and style of officiating, said the issue was not a trend, but had to be stopped.
"Referees should pay attention that the penalty kicks are taken correctly," Collina said.
"It should be retaken ... (and) whenever the goalkeeper infringes, he will be cautioned," he said, adding that it should also apply during penalty shootouts."
As part of the most significant rewriting of the laws of the game for more than 100 years, football's lawmaker, the International Football Association Board (FABI), in March made wholesale changes to the laws, including on penalty kicks.
If a kicker tries to deceive the goalkeeper by stopping and starting in his run-up, the right to have a retake is removed and instead, the defending team are awarded an indirect free kick and the attacking player is yellow carded.
If goalkeepers move off their line, they should also be yellow carded.
However, Collina was adamant that the level of refereeing at the tournament had been generally excellent with few errors, more accuracy for example in terms of offsides and fewer yellow cards or dangerous tackles compared to 2012.
