Eight-second law: New law to tackle goalkeeper time-wasting introduced
A goalkeeper holding the ball for more than eight seconds will be punished by the opposition this summer.
The new law was unanimously approved by the International Football Association Committee (IFAB) at its annual shareholders’ meeting in Northern Ireland on Saturday and will be held in the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States from June 15 to July 13.
According to current law guardians, if they hold the ball for more than six seconds, they should be punished and the opposition is awarded an indirect free kick.
However, the CEO of Noel Mooney, the Welsh Football Association (FAW), said the implementation of the six-second rule “has been dissolved over time” and hoped that the new law would reduce time wasting.
The referee has been tried in more than 400 games in three different matches including Premier League 2, and will also warn the goalkeeper with a five-second countdown.
“We did the test and the test was very successful. The referee doesn’t have to signal (usually)” said FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom.
The IFAB also voted to continue the offside trial, and would dominate the attacker among the attackers if his torso stays level with the second-place defender.
