Celtic Park often witnesses the time-wasting antics of opposition goalkeepers, but a new trial by the International Football Association Board could put an end to this frustrating practice.
General view inside the stadium before the match REUTERS/Russell Cheyne
Under the current rules, goalkeepers are not allowed to hold the ball for more than six seconds, a rule that is rarely enforced, as many Celtic fans will know.
To address this, IFAB has introduced a trial for the 2024-25 season that will test new methods for penalising excessive time-holding by goalkeepers. The proposed changes could lead to either a corner or a throw-in for the opposing team, instead of the traditional indirect free kick. [ESPN]
The reluctance of referees to enforce the six-second rule stems from the disproportionate advantage a close-range free kick offers the attacking team. The new protocols are designed to discourage goalkeepers from unnecessarily delaying the game by providing a less drastic but still punitive alternative.
During the trial, referees will allow goalkeepers up to eight seconds and will visually count down the final five seconds, similar to methods used in futsal and beach soccer. The first infraction will result in a warning, and subsequent offences will lead to cautions for the goalkeeper.
This trial will not take place in top-tier competitions but could be implemented in lower divisions, such as the Football League Trophy in England, which features clubs from League One and League Two. Depending on the success of these trials, assessed in IFAB meetings at the end of 2025, this new rule could be adopted widely in the 2026-27 season.
By introducing these changes, IFAB hopes to eliminate or reduce goalkeeper time-wasting, thereby improving the overall pace and integrity of the game.
Just the same as the’ no more than three steps off the park during a throw in’. Five steps off the park to take a by kick ( both impossible at Tynecastle) and lying down and freining injury 🤕 in the penalty atea when opposing teams are about to score. Especially at the death star.
They also need to look into the time-wasting at by-kicks like when the keeper takes the ball to the far side of the 6yrd box from where it went out.
They should be made to take the kick from the same side of the goal from where the ball went out and have a play clock like in the NFL and have it count down from 10 seconds
Also to stop players time-wasting at an injury, if a player gets treatment by a physio, the player should be made to stay off the park for the same amount of time that the treatment took (recovery time)
Or stop the clock every time the ball goes out of play and make both halves 35mins