Goalkeepers now have a compelling incentive to reevaluate time-wasting strategies after a new regulation was approved by football’s rule makers for the next season.
Concerns about teams keeping too much possession had been rekindled by the 2024–25 season, with Arsenal emerging as a major force in the dark arts.
But the IFAB has already approved a regulation change that will go into force the next season and could drastically influence how clubs handle restarts.
In the past, a goalie would be given a yellow card and, in certain situations, give up an indirect free-kick if they held onto the ball for an extended period of time—a rule that was not always followed.
The repercussions, however, are far more uncertain presently. The amendment to Law 12.2 has received unanimous support from the IFAB. According to the modification, goalkeepers will have eight seconds starting in the upcoming season to release the ball before the other team is given a corner kick.
A visible five-second countdown will help on-field officials make decisions. Since the introduction of Law 12.2 in 1998, this regulation change is the first of its type. It used to say that a goalie had six seconds to release the ball before the other team was given an indirect free-kick, although this rule was hardly ever followed.
Although there has been a wide range of reactions to this announcement, viewers generally believe that the major change would permanently alter the sport.
“What is this nonsense?” said one X user. “Our beautiful football is gone,” another person remarked, and a third person added, “This will be so interesting.” This change will take effect for all international and continental tournaments starting with the 2025–2026 Premier League season.
