Strange change in football regulations: what happens a team if the goalkeeper holds the ball for more than 8 seconds

Strange change in football regulations: what happens a team if the goalkeeper holds the ball for more than 8 seconds

From July 1, if a goalkeeper holds the ball in his hand for more than 8 seconds, the referee will give the corner for the opposing team. International Football Association Board (IFAB), the body that sets the laws of the game, has made this announcement.

The porters will have to let go of the ball in maximum 8 seconds. Photo EPA EFE

The change in regulation comes after the new rule has been tested in various competitions and had “a major positive impact”. The decision was made unanimously by the representatives of IFAB.

So far, according to the regulation, if a goalkeeper was holding the ball in his hand for more than 6 seconds, the referees had the opportunity to give indirect free kick for the opposing team. The sanction was extremely applied, the boilers preferring to “close their eyes” and rather to grant yellow card to the goalkeepers.

Adrian Stoica

Adrian Stoica

Adrian is the founder and the visionary behind Cluj Napoca, a media platform committed to capturing and sharing the vibrant stories of Cluj-Napoca and Romania with an international audience. A graduate in international journalism from the University of Bucharest and holder of a Master’s in Cultural Studies from Babes-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca, Adrian has a robust educational background that equips him to understand and analyze the complexities of his native region's culture and history.