According to the International Football Association Board, football goalkeepers will not be allowed to hold onto the ball for over eight seconds starting this summer.
Football will implement a new regulation starting this summer. According to this rule, a goalie will be punished by giving the opponent a corner if he has the ball for longer than eight seconds during play! The FIFA Club World Cup, which is being held in the USA, will mark the first time the new law is put into effect.
The International Football Association Board (IFAB) overwhelmingly approved the new law at its annual general meeting in Northern Ireland on Saturday.
Before the goalkeepers are fined, referees will use hand gestures to alert them of a five-second countdown. The regulation is being implemented following a successful trial run in more than 400 games across three different tournaments, including the Premier League 2, according to FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom.
According to a statute, goalkeepers who hold the ball for longer than six seconds should be penalised by giving the opponent an indirect free kick. However, these supposedly “dissolved over time” shots-stoppers turn stalling time into a tactic, especially in the closing moments of games that are hotly contested.
It is anticipated that the new law would alter this standard strategy, which is frequently used to slow down play and disrupt the opposing team’s offensive rhythm.
“The amendment means that if a goalkeeper holds the ball for longer than eight seconds (with the referee using a visual five-second countdown), the referee will award a corner kick to the opposing team (rather than the current indirect free kick for more than six seconds),” IFAB said in a statement.
