A new rule is introduced in football

The International Federation of Association Football, which regulates and determines changes to football rules (IFAB), is considering introducing a new rule aimed at combating goalkeeper stalling, The Daily Mail reports. The innovation is being discussed after successful tests in tournaments for under-21 players in England and Italy.

According to the proposal, goalkeepers who hold the ball for longer than eight seconds may be penalized with a corner kick in favor of the opponent. Currently, only an indirect free kick is provided for such violations, but this is rarely used. The new measure provides that the referees will visually count down the time, signaling the goalkeepers about the limit.

According to the head of the Irish Football Federation, Patrick Nelson, the trials have shown the new approach to be highly effective. Goalkeepers began to put the ball into play faster, and there were virtually no cases of penalties for corners, which indicates that the rule is effective as a deterrent. Similar tests in Italy showed similar results, and in Malta, a throw-in was used as a penalty for delay.

In addition, IFAB continues to discuss changes to the offside rules. The organization's technical director, David Elleray, noted that new approaches could give attackers back the advantage lost due to the accuracy of modern technology. A goal is canceled due to minimal deviations, such as "millimeter offside". The new changes may be aimed at giving the "benefit of the doubt" back to the attackers [interpreting questionable episodes in favor of the attacking team's player if there is no clear evidence of offside – ed.

Returning to the innovation for goalkeepers, experts are confident that the fear of losing the ball and giving the opponent a dangerous opportunity (corner or throw-in) will be a powerful incentive for goalkeepers to put the ball in play faster.

"No coach will forgive his goalkeeper for a mistake if it causes the team to concede a goal," Nelson said.

The IFAB is currently analyzing data from test matches and considering the possibility of implementing the new rule at the highest level – in professional leagues and international tournaments. If the decision is made, it will be one of the most significant adjustments to football rules in recent years.

The innovations may come into effect as early as next season if the IFAB's recommendations are approved. This will be a step forward in the fight against time delays and attempts by players to use the rules to gain an unjustified advantage.

The final decision on the implementation of the new rules will be made after analyzing all the data and consulting with representatives of football associations, leagues, and coaching staffs. The IFAB aims to balance the innovations in such a way as to preserve the dynamics of the game, but at the same time avoid excessive strictness that could affect the fairness of matches.

If approved, the rule could have a significant impact on team tactics. Goalkeepers will be forced to make decisions faster, which will reduce downtime and make matches more entertaining. In addition, it could become an additional challenge for teams, as an increase in the number of corners could create more scoring chances.

The football community is already divided in its assessment of the initiative. Some experts believe that this innovation will increase the intensity of matches, while others fear that additional control measures may complicate the work of referees and create new disputes on the field.

Nevertheless, IFAB emphasizes that the main goal is to improve the quality of the game and reduce the number of cases of time delays that annoy fans and disrupt the competitive balance.

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