Corner kick for time-wasting! Football goalkeepers to be penalised for late release of balls!

A new rule will come into effect in football from this summer. It states that if a goalkeeper holds the ball for more than eight seconds during the game, he will be penalised by handing a corner to the opposition! The new law will be  implemented for the first time during the FIFA Club World Cup that is being held in the USA.

The new law was unanimously approved by the International Football Association Board (IFAB) at its annual general meeting in Northern Ireland on Saturday. 

Referees will warn the goalkeepers with a five-second countdown through hand gestrures before they are penalised. FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom said the rule is being enforced after a successful trial run in over 400 games in three different competitions, including the Premier League 2.

There was a law that stated that goalkeepers should be punished if they hold the ball for more than six seconds, with the opposition being awarded an indirect free-kick. But this reportedly "dissolved over time" shots-stoppers make time-wasting a strategy, particularly towards the end of closely-fought games. The new law is expected to bring a change to this usual plan that is commonly deployed to slow down the game and kill the other side's offensive rhythm. 

"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)," IFAB said in a statement.