Starting next season, goalkeepers who hold onto the ball for more than eight seconds will be penalized by conceding a corner kick.
This follows a rule change by football’s lawmakers, the International Football Association Board (IFAB).
Under current rules, goalkeepers are only allowed to keep possession for six seconds before being penalized with an indirect free kick. However, this rule is rarely enforced.
A trial extending the time limit to eight seconds has been ongoing in select competitions, with referees visually counting down the final five seconds using a hand signal.
At a meeting in Belfast, IFAB confirmed: “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).”
