Revolutionary new football rule approved and it will start from next season

The International Football Association Board (IFAB) have announced the law change following their AGM in Belfast.

From the start of the 2025/26 campaign, goalkeepers will be penalised for holding the ball for more than eight seconds.

The offence will be met with the referee awarding a corner to the opposition team.

It is a change to Law 12.2, which previously stated that an indirect free-kick should be awarded after six seconds - although goalkeepers were very rarely penalised for holding the ball for longer.

Liverpool manager Arne Slot is among those to have called out Premier League referees for ignoring this rule, and so will likely welcome the new change.

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Referees will also use a visual countdown when the law is in operation, counting out the final five seconds before a goalkeeper must release the ball.

A statement from IFAB read: "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)."

The move is one of five changes confirmed by the sport's lawmakers following their AGM.

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In a change to the dropped ball law, the ball will now be dropped to the team who had or would have gained possession if it was outside the box.

It must be clear who would have been in possession otherwise the ball will be dropped for the last team to touch it.

Meanwhile, an indirect free-kick will now be awarded if a team official or player not on the pitch touches the ball as it leaves the field.

Referees will not show a yellow card to the offender, though.

The laws surrounding VAR have also been updated to give competitions the option for referees to announce decisions following VAR reviews.

This season's Carabao Cup semi-finals have already implemented this change, which is also in operation in the FA Cup from this weekend onwards.

Finally, officials have been given new practical guidelines when a penalty is being taken.

Assistant referees will now stand in line with the penalty spot as VAR instead monitors the goal-line and goalkeeper encroachment.