TIME-WASTING goalkeepers are set to be punished with a CORNER being awarded against them in a major new proposed Law change.
And English professional football could trial sin-bins for dissent and cynical game-stopping fouls as soon as next season.
The Law-making International FA Board has agreed that keepers are routinely abusing the “six second” rule and that action is required.
While a formal proposal is unlikely to be brought in for next term, the belief is that making sure there is a suitable punishment for time-wasting will ensure keepers speed up play when they have the ball in their hands.
Fifa refs’ chief Pierluigi Collina explained: “I have seen keepers with the ball in their hand for 10, 15, 20, 25 seconds. That’s not acceptable.
“The issue was that giving an indirect free-kick inside the box might be considered too harsh a punishment.
“But we think we have found a solution.
“We may consider increasing the time given to the goalkeeper – sometimes six seconds is too little.
“But then they have to expect this alternative punishment would be given.”
It is thought likely that an extension to 10 seconds for a keeper to keep the ball in their hands will be written into the Laws.
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And FA chief executive Mark Bullingham added: “We talked about whether there was a way where you concede possession but without it being a huge punishment.
“People feel an indirect free-kick so close to the goal is too much but if you had a corner given, you’d be conceding possession, but not giving such a clear goalscoring opportunity.”
The potential change is more likely to be introduced for the 2024-25 season although it could come earlier.
But the Ifab did agree to global trials of sin-bins and new Laws allowing only the team captain to approach the referee in a bid to clamp down on misbehaviour.
Protocols will be drafted over the next few months with a view to confirming trials from next season.
That could even see sin-bins introduced in the Women’s Super League or FA Cup next term – although that has yet to be decided.
Ifab says the plan is to root out “anti-football behaviour”, with deliberate game-stopping fouls and mouthing off at officials top of the hit-list.
Bullingham explained: “The areas we were looking at were dissent and tactical fouls.
“There’s a real frustration for fans when they’re watching games when they see a promising counter-attack that’s ruined by that sort of foul.
“We asked if a yellow card is sufficient punishment for that and don’t believe it is.”
Players judged guilty of the offences will get 10 minutes on the sidelines in addition to the yellow card – with a second offence caution still bringing dismissal.
The Wembley boss added: “You can call it a tactical foul, cynical foul or professional foul.
“But it’s a foul that prevents a promising attack and they do it consciously knowing they’re going to only get a yellow card.
“We don’t think they would do it if they felkt there would be a sin-bin for that and 10 minutes out of the game.”
Ifab also agreed new Laws to come into effect from next term which will see all deliberate defensive hand-ball offences in the penalty box bringing red cards and that will mean the ball must overhang or touch the centre of the spot at penalties.
