Football’s New Time-Wasting Rule: Goalkeepers to Concede Corner for Delays

Islamabad: The International Football Association Board (IFAB) has announced a major change to curb time-wasting by goalkeepers.

From next season, goalkeepers holding onto the ball for more than eight seconds will concede a corner kick instead of the previously ignored indirect free-kick rule.

Referees will be encouraged to manually count down from five, ensuring goalkeepers are aware of the impending penalty.

Trials conducted in Italy, Malta, and England’s Premier League 2 showed minimal disruptions, with only four goalkeepers sanctioned over hundreds of matches.Football Coach Bobby Bowden ‘King of the Road’ dies at 91

FIFA has already confirmed the rule’s implementation at the upcoming 32-team Club World Cup in the USA.

The issue of time-wasting in football is not new. Previously, teams exploited back-passes to goalkeepers, leading to low-scoring tournaments such as Euro 1992.

The subsequent rule change, banning goalkeepers from handling back-passes, significantly increased goal averages in subsequent tournaments.

Despite modern football’s focus on high pressing and ball-playing goalkeepers, time-wasting through prolonged ball-holding remains a concern.

The new rule aims to deter such tactics by introducing a more severe consequence—defending a corner.

With set-piece situations playing a crucial role in modern football, teams known for their prowess, such as Arsenal, will need to adjust their approach.