New rules that determine how long a goalkeeper can hold the ball will be announced from the beginning of the next season.
The International Football Association Board (IFAB), the manufacturers of the laws of the game, said that the goalkeepers are now being punished to keep the ball for eight seconds or longer.
According to the current rules, keepers should be sanctioned if they hold on for more than six seconds, but the crime is rarely punished.
The punishment for such a criminal offense is currently an indirect free kick, which will be changed into a corner according to the new laws that come into force on July 1, 2025.
The Ifab also said that referees will implement a five second count in their hands before the corner was awarded.
The ifab grabs goalkeeper time to waste ➡️ https://t.co/jeei0s1cfo
Watch now https://t.co/1ml2gsdcsi: Press conference after the 139th general meeting pic.twitter.com/Z0D8BMLWTW
– the ifab (@theifab) March 1, 2025
In an explanation of the Ifab after his general meeting, it says: “After the exams have shown a great positive influence in which goalkeepers have held on the ball too long, the Ifab unanimously decided to change the law 12.2 (indirect free kick).
“The change means that the referee if a goalkeeper lasts the ball for more than eight seconds (the referee uses a visual countdown with five seconds), the opposing team a corner chick (instead of the current indirect free kick for longer than six seconds).”
A trial version that enables the goalkeepers to hold up for eight seconds was already active in a series of competitions this season, including Premier League 2.
