Goalkeepers to be punished with corner for holding ball more than eight seconds

Under the current law, goalkeepers are not allowed to retain possession of the ball for more than six seconds, with the penalty being an indirect free kick from the spot where the goalkeeper was standing.

The change follows a series of trials conducted during the 2024-25 season in Premier League 2 (academy leagues) and in both Maltese and Italian football, with the results being reviewed at IFAB's meetings in late 2025.

Over the course of more than 400 matches, only three corners were awarded due to goalkeepers holding the ball too longâ”three in England and none in Malta. In Italy, a different trial was implemented, resulting in a throw-in being awarded once for the offence.

The trial was deemed highly successful, and as a result, the new law will be introduced across all competitions starting in July, for the 2025-26 season.

Under the new rules, if a goalkeeper holds the ball for more than eight seconds (with the referee counting down the final five seconds visually), the referee will award a corner kick to the opposing team.

IFAB explained that referees had been reluctant to enforce the six-second rule because awarding a free kick was considered "too significant an advantage," as the chance of scoring from such a close range was high, whereas the team that committed the offence had no chance of scoring when they were in possession of the ball.

The board also noted that managing a free kick from close to goal, particularly within 9.15 meters, is "often very difficult," especially when defenders are required to line up on the goal line between the posts.

Despite these challenges, IFAB firmly believes that "a goalkeeper holding the ball for too long is an unfair tactic," as it denies the opposing team any opportunity to regain possession, given that the goalkeeper is untouchable while in control of the ball.

Studies showed that a goalkeeper typically releases the ball in less than six seconds during a fast counterattack, between six to eight seconds when attempting to release the ball but encountering legitimate delays, and over 20 seconds when deliberately wasting time, often by falling to the ground and lingering before slowly rising.

IFAB's football and technical advisory panels explored various options during meetings towards the end of 2023 and approved a trial to extend the time limit to eight seconds with clear enforcement protocols in March.

The board believes that this systematic approach, combined with a restart that results in the goalkeeper (and their team) losing possession without granting the opposing team too large a benefit, will be effective in either eliminating or reducing the frequency of this infraction.

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