The International Football Association Board ( IFAB) have made a major change affecting goalkeepers ahead of the 2025/26 football season.
The IFAB law currently in section 12.2 states that if a goalkeeper has six seconds to release the ball before the opposing team is awarded an indirect free-kick. This rule has now been amended the law for the goalkeepers, from next season, they will have eight seconds to release the ball before the opposing team is awarded a corner kick.
The on-field referees will be aided in their decision making by a visual five-second countdown. This means after the official notices that the goalkeeper has handled the ball for more than eight seconds then a corner kick will be awarded to the opposing team.
One of the goalkeepers in the Premier League that will be affected the most is Everton’s Jordan Pickford who is known for time wasting. Another notable name in England is Wolves’ Jose Sa who has received eight bookings since arriving at Molineux.
A large portion of these cards would have been shown for time wasting most likely when Wolves were in winning positions.
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