Belfast, March 1 : The International Football Association Board (IFAB) has approved several notable changes to the Laws of the Game for the 2025/26 season. One of the most impactful amendments targets the issue of time-wasting, where goalkeepers often hold onto the ball for extended periods.

Previously, if a goalkeeper held the ball for more than six seconds, an indirect free kick was awarded to the opposing team. However, following a series of successful trials, the IFAB has decided to increase this threshold to eight seconds.

'After trials have shown a major positive impact where goalkeepers have been holding onto the ball for too long, The IFAB has unanimously decided to amend Law 12.2 (Indirect free kick). The amendment means that if a goalkeeper holds the ball for longer than eight seconds (with the referee using a visual five-second countdown), the referee will award a corner kick to the opposing team (rather than the current indirect free kick for more than six seconds),' read the statement by IFAB.

Under the new rule, referees will use a five-second visual countdown to track the goalkeeper's time, and should the goalkeeper exceed the eight-second mark, the referee will now award a corner kick rather than the traditional indirect free kick. This change is intended to discourage prolonged time-wasting and promote a more dynamic style of play.

The decision to adjust the goalkeeper rule comes after trials showed that such changes significantly improved the flow of the game. By pushing goalkeepers to release the ball more quickly, the IFAB hopes to reduce stoppages and encourage more attacking play.

Alongside the goalkeeper amendments, other important changes were made to various laws, including guidelines for team captains in managing interactions with referees, adjustments to dropped ball procedures, and new protocols for the use of Video Assistant Referees (VAR).

The 2025/26 season will see these changes come into effect, with the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 being one of the first major competitions to implement them. The following decisions were also taken at the 139th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the IFAB, hosted by the Irish Football Association (IFA) in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

/IANS