Goalkeepers who waste time ......

[SydneyRover]

.............. ''by holding on to the ball are to be penalised with the award of a corner, the law-making International Football Association Board (Ifab) has confirmed.

The new law, which will be introduced this summer, will mean goalkeepers have eight seconds to claim and redistribute the ball before they are penalised, with the referee giving a five-second countdown to warn them of incoming punishment. This will replace the current system whereby a keeper has six seconds to move the ball on and is punished with an indirect free-kick if they do not''

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/mar/01/goalkeepers-to-be-punished-with-corner-for-holding-ball-more-than-eight-seconds

This should be a good move, apologies if posted previously.

[Nudga]

The 6 second would have worked if refs actually followed it up and implemented that rule.
I don't see how this fixes it unless refs are actually going to do something about it.


I'd like to see yellow cards for those feigning injury  and then getting up as though nothings happened.
Can't even say it's the magic sponge anymore because physios don't take on a bucket of water. 

[idler]

How many refs will follow this to the letter though? Does the time start as soon as the goalie has possession or after he has been lying  on the ground for 20 seconds? It might also lead to players impeding the keeper as he collects to waste a few seconds so it is a more hurried clearance. I’m sure that teams will be trying to bend the rules as soon as it comes in.

[ForsolongaRover]

The 6 second would have worked if refs actually followed it up and implemented that rule.
I don't see how this fixes it unless refs are actually going to do something about it.


I'd like to see yellow cards for those feigning injury  and then getting up as though nothings happened.
Can't even say it's the magic sponge anymore because physios don't take on a bucket of water.

Anyone who has ever played football will have had knocks which are immediately painful enough to put you on the floor, but which wear off quickly enough to not need the physio. “Feigning injury” is absolutely wrong, but indistinguishable from the real thing.

[idler]

It isn’t indistinguishable when a player gets hit in the chest and goes down clutching his face though.

[SydneyRover]

How many refs will follow this to the letter though? Does the time start as soon as the goalie has possession or after he has been lying  on the ground for 20 seconds? It might also lead to players impeding the keeper as he collects to waste a few seconds so it is a more hurried clearance. I’m sure that teams will be trying to bend the rules as soon as it comes in.

''The new law, which will be introduced this summer, will mean goalkeepers have eight seconds to claim and redistribute the ball before they are penalised, with the referee giving a five-second countdown to warn them of incoming punishment''

[Donnywolf]

Fiddling round the edges with all sorts of attempts to speed the game up , or to be factually correct to make the game " less slow" but in truth the games Rulibg bodies know the answer lies in a fixed time per half of each game

The current " ball actually in play" in the Premier League game is around 56 or 57 minutes

So why not start with 30 each half . Just think of EVERYTHING that we wouldn't see any more

[roversdude]

Brilliant IF implemented, it will probably be the same old used for first few games then disappear - same as holding at corners and time added on

[roversdude]

Really think that if a player goes down holding their head (cynically - thinking in the penalty area to stop an attack) then said player needs to go through a full protocol as in rugby….for their own safety

[idler]

I know that but catching a ball means that you can throw it almost instantly if in room. Diving full length or smothering the ball at a forward’s feet means how many seconds to get back to your feet?
Common sense is a big part of all rules.
I can see some being sticklers and some not really implementing it personally. Wrestling in the area at dead ball situations should be stopped as well.

[SydneyRover]

I know that but catching a ball means that you can throw it almost instantly if in room. Diving full length or smothering the ball at a forward’s feet means how many seconds to get back to your feet?
Common sense is a big part of all rules.
I can see some being sticklers and some not really implementing it personally. Wrestling in the area at dead ball situations should be stopped as well.

As soon as a few corners are handed out reality will kick in, keepers hate to concede more than anyone in the team I would think.

[Nudga]

The 6 second would have worked if refs actually followed it up and implemented that rule.
I don't see how this fixes it unless refs are actually going to do something about it.


I'd like to see yellow cards for those feigning injury  and then getting up as though nothings happened.
Can't even say it's the magic sponge anymore because physios don't take on a bucket of water.

Anyone who has ever played football will have had knocks which are immediately painful enough to put you on the floor, but which wear off quickly enough to not need the physio. “Feigning injury” is absolutely wrong, but indistinguishable from the real thing.

Yes, I've played football so I know when you get hit hard you may end up on the floor. Then you get up and "walk it off".
Professional players don't get up do they, they wait for the physio to come on and they go through the rigmarole of "checking them over".

It's shite, football is primarily an entertainment industry where we pay our money to watch football. 
We don't pay to watch theatrics and cheating.

[ravenrover]

Fiddling round the edges with all sorts of attempts to speed the game up , or to be factually correct to make the game " less slow" but in truth the games Rulibg bodies know the answer lies in a fixed time per half of each game

The current " ball actually in play" in the Premier League game is around 56 or 57 minutes

So why not start with 30 each half . Just think of EVERYTHING that we wouldn't see any more

I agree totally with ball in play time, however two 30mins halves would be the same as now but instead two halves of 20mins.

[Jimmydee]

The refs should take more control at corners, it take around 5 minutes of pushing, shirt holding and blocking before the kick is taken.
Tom Anderson is totally focussed on stopping his man by wrestling, he doesn’t even look to see where the ball is. I can remember a couple of years ago at the start of the season when the refs were booking players before the corners were taken, but it soon fizzled out.

[BigKeif]

Ref’s don’t implement the rules as they are, what makes anyone think they will now with this change?

[danumdon]

We keep having this from the authorities, useless implementations of rule changes to paper over the fact that they don't even stick to the ones they already have.

Instead of coming out with these useless waste of time rules why don't they actively ask somebody like the Rugby League authorities to have a look at their game and TELL them where they can improve it for the better.

Its no coincidence that RL has far better governance than football, they don't have vested interests lobbying everything that happens and they don't allow the powerful clubs to dictate at the expense of the majority.

I'd personally look at having an independent timekeeper, stop the clock when the ball is not in play and certainly look at time wasting injuries by allowing the play to continue unless its clear and obvious that a player is in trouble.

Id also look at the back pass to the keeper, don't allow the keeper to pick it up unless its played by the opposition, that in itself would save many mins each game.

The will needs to be there to improve the game, i'd also do away with linesmen, they are totally pointless in today's game, let an independent adjudicator watching from the stands with TV monitors tell the Ref the minute amount of info they pass on during the game, to me some refs are now so arrogant in the belief that they know best that its become a total farce.

Clear and fresh thinking required to ensure we don't see the game go to the dogs.

[ravenrover]

Keepers can't pick up back passes from their own player now

[danumdon]

Keepers can't pick up back passes from their own player now

Yep scrub that, not sure how that ended up in there!

[roversdude]

Keepers can't pick up back passes from their own player now

Novel idea

[Bristol Red Rover]

It isn’t indistinguishable when a player gets hit in the chest and goes down clutching his face though.

Could easily be given a yellow on vid review if it's clear.

[Bristol Red Rover]

The 6 second would have worked if refs actually followed it up and implemented that rule.
I don't see how this fixes it unless refs are actually going to do something about it.


I'd like to see yellow cards for those feigning injury  and then getting up as though nothings happened.
Can't even say it's the magic sponge anymore because physios don't take on a bucket of water.

Anyone who has ever played football will have had knocks which are immediately painful enough to put you on the floor, but which wear off quickly enough to not need the physio. “Feigning injury” is absolutely wrong, but indistinguishable from the real thing.

Yes, I've played football so I know when you get hit hard you may end up on the floor. Then you get up and "walk it off".
Professional players don't get up do they, they wait for the physio to come on and they go through the rigmarole of "checking them over".

It's shite, football is primarily an entertainment industry where we pay our money to watch football. 
We don't pay to watch theatrics and cheating.

I've never understood why the game has to stop if a player is injured or a physio is on the pitch. Even if it's a very serious injury, it can all easily be handled with the game ongoing. The only exception might be if it's the keeper injured, and even then the keeper can go off the pitch, hand gloves to another player till he's back on.

[Donnywolf]

The refs should take more control at corners, it take around 5 minutes of pushing, shirt holding and blocking before the kick is taken.
Tom Anderson is totally focussed on stopping his man by wrestling, he doesn’t even look to see where the ball is. I can remember a couple of years ago at the start of the season when the refs were booking players before the corners were taken, but it soon fizzled out.

Agree .... and each Ref it seems makes a point of halting the Corner to pick out 2 players and point at them , lecture them etc etc.

Is that just for the Assessors watching ? I asked simply because 99 times out of 100 ( no I haven't counted ) the 2 players who have just been " warned " end up doing exactly what they have just been told not to do . So the wrestling , pulling , pushing , holding onto opponent for grim death continues and one of both end up on the floor

Pointless lecturing imo if Ref doesn't follow through but it's probably as I say a tick box warning for Assessors eyes

[Avsuptem]

All this wrestling and shirt pulling in the penalty area would soon stop if refs had the balls to penalise any thing that would be penalised if it took place on the rest of the pitch. I for one wish they would. 

[Bristol Red Rover]

Sin bins as punishments, ones where you have to row/cycle x km before you can be released. Or have to do 5? laps of the pitch before you can get back on. Sit down sin bins.... pah!

[Dutch Uncle]

My problem with this rule is it invites each attacking team to put two players on the keeper (one each side to block kicks) as soon as he has the ball in hand (e.g. easy after a corner), the keeper can't get it away, and I can see mayhem as defenders clash with the attackers.

I think a clause is needed to cover that, for example clock does not start ticking until all opposition players are at least 2 metres away   

[Nudga]

My problem with this rule is it invites each attacking team to put two players on the keeper (one each side to block kicks) as soon as he has the ball in hand (e.g. easy after a corner), the keeper can't get it away, and I can see mayhem as defenders clash with the attackers.

I think a clause is needed to cover that, for example clock does not start ticking until all opposition players are at least 2 metres away   

I respectfully disagree. Keepers could do a bit of the old "hand ball" shoulder drop technique to get out of a tight spot, they are also allowed to travel with the ball in their hands in their own area.

Not sure why keepers are this over protected.

[Dutch Uncle]

My problem with this rule is it invites each attacking team to put two players on the keeper (one each side to block kicks) as soon as he has the ball in hand (e.g. easy after a corner), the keeper can't get it away, and I can see mayhem as defenders clash with the attackers.

I think a clause is needed to cover that, for example clock does not start ticking until all opposition players are at least 2 metres away   

I respectfully disagree. Keepers could do a bit of the old "hand ball" shoulder drop technique to get out of a tight spot, they are also allowed to travel with the ball in their hands in their own area.

Not sure why keepers are this over protected.

I accept your respectful disagreement Nudga 

I may well be wrong, it will be interesting to see how this pans out, and if there any unintended consequences

[Pancho Regan]

Another tactical feigned injury tonight, this time by the Bromley ‘keeper going down on 80 minutes, 10 yards outside his area.

The ref has little option in such circumstances than to stop play.
Cue all the Bromley players trotting over to have a team talk with the manager.

This is the stuff which is killing the game.

At least the ref added on 10 minutes, credit due for that.

[drfchound]

Another tactical feigned injury tonight, this time by the Bromley ‘keeper going down on 80 minutes, 10 yards outside his area.

The ref has little option in such circumstances than to stop play.
Cue all the Bromley players trotting over to have a team talk with the manager.

This is the stuff which is killing the game.

At least the ref added on 10 minutes, credit due for that.

He did Pancho but four more minutes were lost to “injuries” during added on time so we should have gone to 14 minutes extra, but the ref blew the final whistle after only 12 of them.

[Donnywolf]

If you add up the time lost for taking goal kicks free kicks and throw ins in just the second half that would be about 14 minutes we have paid to watch but the time is never ever added on

They were playing for time as early as the second minute. Ball went out by corner flag far side. Webster picked it up and threw it 20 yards forward to lefy back. Ref made him go back 10 yards .Time wasted position gained

It's killing the game.