Football rule makers are thinking about a big change that could really affect goalkeepers who waste time.
Right now, the rules say goalkeepers can hold the ball for six seconds.
But, in reality, this rule is almost never used.
In many games, you’ll see goalkeepers holding onto the ball for 20 seconds or even more, especially when they want to run down the clock near the end of a match.
There are a couple of reasons why the six-second rule isn’t really enforced.
First, even after six seconds, goalkeepers are often still surrounded by opposing players, especially during set pieces.
Second, giving an indirect free-kick in the penalty area as a punishment seemed too harsh for just holding the ball a bit too long.
However, plans to change this rule are moving forward “positively.”
In the new version of the rule, goalkeepers would be allowed to hold the ball for eight seconds instead of six.
Also, referees would use their hand to count down the last five seconds, making it clear to everyone how much time the goalkeeper has left to release the ball.
This season, they are testing the eight-second rule and awarding corners as punishment in Premier League 2 and in Malta.
The feedback to Ifab, the group that makes the football rules, is said to be good.
It’s not likely that these rule changes will happen for the 2025-26 season.
Instead, they will probably test it for another season, with the possibility of making it official for the 2026-27 season.
Offside Rule Change
There might also be changes to the offside rule.
Arsene Wenger, who is in charge of global football development at Fifa, had suggested a “daylight” rule. This rule was tested in under-18 games in Italy, but it seemed to favor attackers too much because it meant a player was onside if any part of their body was level with the second-to-last defender.
Instead, they are thinking about using the upper torso to decide offside, as revealed by SunSport.
