New rules stipulating how long a goalkeeper can keep the ball come into force at the start of next season, he was announced.
The International Football Association Board (IFAB), the manufacturers of the laws of the game, said that goalkeepers will now be penalized for holding the ball for eight seconds or more.
Under the current rules, the guards are supposed to be penalized if they hold more than six seconds, but the offense is rarely penalized.
The punishment for such an offense is, at present, an indirect free kick, but which will be changed under the corner by virtue of the new laws, which come into force on July 1, 2025.
IFAB also said that the referees will implement a five -second count on their hands before giving the corner.
IFAB addresses the goal of waffle goalkeeper ➡️ https://t.co/jeei0s1cfo
Look now https://t.co/1ml2gsdci: Press conference after the 139th annual general meeting pic.twitter.com/z0d8bmlwtw
– IFAB (@Theifab) March 1, 2025
A statement from the IFAB, after its Aga, said: “After the tests showed a major positive impact where the goalkeepers have preserved the ball for too long, the IFAB has unanimously decided to modify law 12.2 (indirect free kick).
“The amendment means that if a goalkeeper holds the ball for more than eight seconds (with the referee using a visual count of five seconds), the referee will kick the opposing team (rather than the current indirect free kick for more than six seconds).”
A test allowing guards to keep eight seconds has already been active in a number of competitions this season, including the Premier League 2.
