New rules stipulating how long a goalkeeper may hold onto the ball will come into effect from the start of next season, it has been announced.
The International Football Association Board (IFAB), the makers of the Laws of the Game, have said that goalkeepers will now be penalised for holding the ball for eight seconds or longer.
Under the current rules, keepers are supposed to be sanctioned if they hold on for more than six seconds, but the offence is rarely penalised.
The punishment for such an offence is, at present, an indirect free-kick, but that will be changed to a corner under the new laws, which come into effect on 1 July 2025.
The IFAB also said that referees will implement a five second count-down on their hands before awarding the corner.
The IFAB tackles goalkeeper time wasting ➡️ https://t.co/jEei0s1Cfo
Watch now on https://t.co/1mL2Gsdcsi: press conference following the 139th Annual General Meeting pic.twitter.com/z0d8BmlWtw
— The IFAB (@TheIFAB) March 1, 2025
A statement from the IFAB, following its AGM, said: “After trials have shown a major positive impact where goalkeepers have been holding onto the ball for too long, The IFAB has unanimously decided to amend Law 12.2 (Indirect free kick).
“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).”
A trial allowing keepers to hold on for eight seconds has already been active in a number of competitions this season, including Premier League 2.