Under guidance from IFAB, goalkeepers could be punished differently if they hold onto the ball for more than eight seconds.
Football's lawmakers, the International Football Association Board (IFAB), are trialing a new rule to combat time-wasting by goalkeepers. Currently, goalkeepers have six seconds to release the ball, with violations punishable by an indirect free kick.
However, this rule is rarely - if ever - enforced, and it is yellow cards which are more often produced.
The proposed rule extends the limit to eight seconds and introduces a more likely penalty: awarding the opposing team a corner kick or throw-in if the goalkeeper exceeds the eight second time limit. This change aims to discourage time-wasting by providing a clearer and harsher consequence. Referees would signal the countdown starting at five seconds, and repeated offenses could result in yellow cards.
The rule alteration has reportedly been trialled successfully in the Premier League’s U21 league. The Times has further reported that that if another trial in Italy’s U20 league is effective in stopping goalkeepers from wasting time unnecessarily then it will likely be adopted across the senior game and beyond.
IFAB's official website states that the indirect free kick (IDFK) penalty is rarely enforced for reasons including difficulty managing the set piece for the referee, ‘especially if it is to be taken from 9.15 m (10 yds) from the goal or closer, when the defenders have to be on the goal line between the goalposts.’ And, that ‘some feel that an IDFK gives the non-offending team too great an advantage, as the chance of scoring is high, whereas they had no possibility of scoring when the offence occurred, as they did not have possession of the ball.’
IFAB also states that ‘Competitions taking part in the trial must opt to use only one of the following restarts for all matches - either a corner kick or a throw in as the penalty.’
