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Law change for goalkeepers from next season
4th June, 2025
From the start of next season in the NCEL, goalkeepers who hold the ball for more than eight seconds will be penalised with the award of a corner kick to the opposition.
The law change has been made by the International Football Association Board (IFAB) after they were presented with, at their 139th Annual General Meeting in March, compelling evidence from trials involving hundreds of matches.
The IFAB decided that goalkeepers would be allowed to hold the ball for an extra two seconds but that the new eight-second time limit must be strictly enforced, with the referee visually counting down the last five seconds with a raised hand.
If a goalkeeper holds the ball for more than eight seconds, the referee will now award a corner kick to the opposition.
The new law will come into effect worldwide from 1st July, 2025, although it will also be implemented in the Club World Cup that begins later this month.
When is the goalkeeper considered to be in control of the ball with their hand(s)/arm(s)?
According to Law 12, a goalkeeper is considered to be in control of the ball with their hand(s)/arm(s) when:
• the ball is between their hands/arms
• the ball is between their hand(s)/arm(s) and any surface (e.g. ground, own body)
• they are holding the ball in their outstretched open hand(s)
• they are bouncing it on the ground or throwing it in the air
When does the eight-second count start?
The eight seconds start when the referee is satisfied that the goalkeeper has clear control of the ball with their hand(s)/arm(s).
The goalkeeper does not need to be standing up for the countdown to start, especially because in many examples of time-wasting the goalkeeper catches the ball, falls unnecessarily to the ground and then stays there for some time even though no one is preventing them from standing up.
If an opponent prevents the goalkeeper from releasing the ball within the eight seconds, a free kick is awarded to the goalkeeper’s team unless the advantage can be played.
Why does the referee raise their hand for the last five seconds of the eight-second countdown?
The referee will raise a hand and use their fingers to count down from five to zero to help the goalkeeper avoid being penalised. The countdown is also useful for the goalkeeper’s team-mates to make themselves available to receive the ball from the goalkeeper before the countdown ends.
Which side is the corner kick taken from?
The corner kick is taken from the side closest to where the goalkeeper was standing when they were penalised by the referee.
The law change has been made by the International Football Association Board (IFAB) after they were presented with, at their 139th Annual General Meeting in March, compelling evidence from trials involving hundreds of matches.
The IFAB decided that goalkeepers would be allowed to hold the ball for an extra two seconds but that the new eight-second time limit must be strictly enforced, with the referee visually counting down the last five seconds with a raised hand.
If a goalkeeper holds the ball for more than eight seconds, the referee will now award a corner kick to the opposition.
The new law will come into effect worldwide from 1st July, 2025, although it will also be implemented in the Club World Cup that begins later this month.
When is the goalkeeper considered to be in control of the ball with their hand(s)/arm(s)?
According to Law 12, a goalkeeper is considered to be in control of the ball with their hand(s)/arm(s) when:
• the ball is between their hands/arms
• the ball is between their hand(s)/arm(s) and any surface (e.g. ground, own body)
• they are holding the ball in their outstretched open hand(s)
• they are bouncing it on the ground or throwing it in the air
When does the eight-second count start?
The eight seconds start when the referee is satisfied that the goalkeeper has clear control of the ball with their hand(s)/arm(s).
The goalkeeper does not need to be standing up for the countdown to start, especially because in many examples of time-wasting the goalkeeper catches the ball, falls unnecessarily to the ground and then stays there for some time even though no one is preventing them from standing up.
If an opponent prevents the goalkeeper from releasing the ball within the eight seconds, a free kick is awarded to the goalkeeper’s team unless the advantage can be played.
Why does the referee raise their hand for the last five seconds of the eight-second countdown?
The referee will raise a hand and use their fingers to count down from five to zero to help the goalkeeper avoid being penalised. The countdown is also useful for the goalkeeper’s team-mates to make themselves available to receive the ball from the goalkeeper before the countdown ends.
Which side is the corner kick taken from?
The corner kick is taken from the side closest to where the goalkeeper was standing when they were penalised by the referee.
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