Starting this summer, goalkeepers who hold onto the ball for more than eight seconds will be penalized with a corner kick awarded to the opposition, following a new rule approved by the International Football Association Board (IFAB).
The decision, made at IFAB’s annual general meeting in Northern Ireland on Saturday, will come into effect at FIFA’s Club World Cup in the USA from June 15 to July 13.
Under the current rules, goalkeepers are allowed six seconds before being penalized with an indirect free-kick, but this law has largely been ignored over time. The Football Association of Wales CEO, Noel Mooney, said the rule had “dissolved,” and the new measure aims to reduce time-wasting.
The law has already been trialed in over 400 matches across three competitions, including Premier League 2, with referees set to issue a five-second countdown before enforcing the punishment.
FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom stated, “The test was very successful. Referees rarely had to signal for a corner.”
Additionally, IFAB has voted to continue offside rule trials, where an attacker will now be considered onside if his torso is level with the second-to-last defender.
