Soccer rule change: Corner kick awarded if goalkeeper holds the ball more than 8 seconds

By: The Associated Press Posted: 12:51 PM CST Saturday, Mar. 1, 2025

BELFAST, Ireland (AP) — Soccer’s rule makers are taking another crack at reducing timewasting by goalkeepers who hold the ball for too long.

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BELFAST, Ireland (AP) — Soccer’s rule makers are taking another crack at reducing timewasting by goalkeepers who hold the ball for too long.

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This article was published 01/03/2025 (584 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

BELFAST, Ireland (AP) — Soccer’s rule makers are taking another crack at reducing timewasting by goalkeepers who hold the ball for too long.

The International Football Association Board approved a rule change Saturday whereby the opposing team will be awarded a corner kick if a goalkeeper holds the ball for more than eight seconds. The new rule will first be used at the Club World Cup in June and then in domestic and international competitions from next season.

It replaces the current and mostly unenforced rule that states a referee should give an indirect free kick to the other side if a goalkeeper holds the ball for more than six seconds.

Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson attends a training session at the City Football Academy, Manchester, England, Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025, ahead of the Champions League playoff second leg soccer match between Real Madrid and Manchester City. (Martin Rickett/PA via AP)

Referees will be instructed to use a five-second hand countdown to warn goalkeepers time is running out to put the ball back in play.

The IFAB said that the eight-second rule saw positive results when it was used in trials in England’s Premier League 2 for youth teams and other minor competitions in Italy and Malta.

“You can see it has a significant impact on goalkeeper behavior,” Patrick Nelson, IFAB director and head of the Irish Football Association, said at a news conference. “The results of (the trials) have been very, very positive.”

Nelson said failure to enforce the six-second rule had “been a bane of many people’s lives for quite some time”.