Eight-second law: New law to tackle goalkeeper time-wasting introduced

The International Football Association Board (IFAB) recently approved a new rule aimed at reducing time-wasting during matches. According to this new regulation, goalkeepers holding the ball for more than eight seconds will be penalized with a corner kick awarded to the opposing team. This decision was unanimously passed at the IFAB annual general meeting held in Northern Ireland.

The new rule will come into effect this summer, with the FIFA Club World Cup, taking place in the United States from June 15th to July 13th, being the first tournament to implement it. Currently, the existing rule stipulates that goalkeepers holding the ball for more than six seconds will be penalized with an indirect free kick. However, Football Association of Wales (FAW) chief executive Noel Mooney stated that the enforcement of the six-second rule has "diminished over time," expressing hope that the new rule will effectively reduce time-wasting tactics.

This new rule has already been trialed in over 400 matches across three different competitions, including the English Premier League 2. Referees will issue a five-second countdown warning to the goalkeeper before issuing the penalty. FIFA Deputy Secretary General Mattias Grafström stated: "We did the testing, and the testing was very successful. The referees don't have to signal for a corner kick that often."

In addition, IFAB also voted to continue experimenting with the offside rule, in which an attacking player will be deemed onside if any part of their body that can score a goal is level with the second-last defender. This trial aims to further enhance the flow and entertainment value of the game.