IFAB Approves New Goalkeeper Time Management Act Come Next Season

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In the latest football news, The International Football Association Board (IFAB) has confirmed an innovative adjustment to the Laws of the Game, which will aim to enhance the pace and smoothness of football matches. From the 2025/2026 season, goalkeepers will be restricted from holding the ball for up to eight seconds. A violation of this will result in the other team being awarded a corner kick.

Goalkeepers used to be permitted to keep possession of the ball for up to six seconds prior to releasing it into play. Application of the rule has varied, however, with the potential for time waste and disruption to match rhythm. To address such problems, IFAB carried out a series of trials to gauge the effectiveness of a revised method.

The new rule was extensively trialled in a series of competitions:

Premier League 2 (Under-21 Competition): During the 2024/2025 season, referees employed the eight-second rule, whereby there was a countdown from five seconds to zero. The goalkeepers adhering to this timeframe ensured that there was a seamless flow of the game, with hardly any instances of infringements.

Malta Trials: The same strategy was implemented, with goalkeepers risking conceding a corner if they were to keep the ball for longer than eight seconds. Surprisingly, of 796 recorded attempts, not one goalkeeper took longer than the limit, showing how effective the rule was as a deterrent.

Upcoming Trials in Italy’s Under-20 League: Continuing previous successes, Italy’s under-20 league is planning to implement the rule, further gauging its influence on game play.

Under the new regulation:

Timekeeping: Referees will initiate the eight-second count once the goalkeeper has clear possession of the ball in their hands.

Visual Cue: At the five-second mark, referees will indicate the remaining time by raising their hand and counting down verbally or visually to zero.

Penalty for Infraction: If the goalie retains the ball for longer than eight seconds, the opposite team is given a corner kick from the side closer to where the infraction occurred.

Disciplinary Measures: The goalie will receive a warning for one initial infraction. Repeated infractions are liable to lead to a caution, as well as a yellow card.

The football fraternity has largely embraced the new rule. Ex-Manchester United defender Gary Neville also came out in support, citing the necessity to avoid unnecessary delays caused by goalkeepers. He averred that prolonged ball holding ruins the game’s rhythm and that the new rule is a step in the right direction towards maintaining match fluidity.

Other than the goalkeeper time management rule, IFAB is also contemplating other changes to enhance the sport’s fairness and excitement. Among them is the suggestion to change the offside rule to favor attacking play in order to avoid marginal decisions from robbing goal-scoring opportunities.