New rule will see corner kick awarded if goalkeepers waste time in 2025-26

Referees will award corner kicks beginning next season, instead of indirect free-kicks, to punish goalkeepers who try to waste time by holding onto the ball for more than eight seconds.

The International Football Association Board (IFAB), responsible for the laws of the sport, unanimously approved the rule change at its 139th annual general meeting in Belfast.

Law 12.2 currently states that goalkeepers can only hold the ball in their hands for six seconds during open play, with the opposition being awarded an indirect free-kick if they exceed that allotted time. However, the rule is rarely enforced, which has given netminders an easy avenue to waste time.

"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)," IFAB said in a statement.

The new rule has been trialed in various youth leagues this season, including in England and Italy, with referees raising their arm and then incrementally bringing it down to their side like a hand on a clock to indicate the countdown.

The IFAB said four corner kicks were awarded in the 400-plus matches that were part of the trial. FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafstrom called the test "very successful."

The change will be implemented for the upcoming Club World Cup, which begins June 14 in the United States. It will then come into effect worldwide in July.