A significant rule change in football – Immediate impact on Finland
The goalie’s time wasting is to be curbed.
The Little Owls will experience the era of a new rule on Thursday. On Wednesday, the European Football Association, Uefa, announced that it would introduce a rule regarding goalkeepers’ play.
Goalkeepers will now have eight seconds to put the ball back into play. If the time limit is exceeded, a corner kick will be awarded to the opposing team from the attacking end.
Uefa will introduce the rule at the European Under-21 Championship finals in Slovakia. The tournament starts on Wednesday. Finland’s opening match is against the Netherlands on Thursday in Košice.
The end of laziness?
The change is intended to protect the goalkeepers’ time. The referee will start counting eight seconds from the moment the goalkeeper gets the ball in control.
The referee signals the goalkeeper with his hand for the last five seconds.
If the opposing team tries to prevent the goalkeeper from opening the goal during the eight seconds, an indirect free kick is awarded to the team in possession of the ball.
Previously, goalkeepers had six seconds to put the ball back into play. However, the rule was constantly violated and was not actually addressed, even though an indirect free kick should have been awarded to the opposing team if time had expired.
The IFAB, the international association that decides on the rules of football, announced the rule change in the spring of this year.
From Wednesday, the new rule will apply in all UEFA competitions.
