UFA official news that a new goalkeeper's ball holding time limit will be implemented starting from the U21 European Cup.
The 2025 European Cup Under 21 will be held in Slovakia, and UEFA will implement the 12.2 amendment to the Football Competition Rules approved by the International Football Association Council (IFAB) on March 1, 2025. That is: If the goalkeeper holds the ball for more than 8 seconds, the referee will award the opponent a corner kick.
This rule replaces the previous penalty rule for indirect free kicks that had been held by goalkeepers for more than 6 seconds. The referee will also use a clearly visible 5-second countdown to indicate the last part of the time limit.
UEFA has also issued new rules implementation guidelines, which stipulates the goalkeeper's time to hold the ball:
- When the goalkeeper completely controls the ball and is not challenged by the opponent's player, the 8-second timing begins.
- The referee will start a significant countdown in the last 5 seconds to ensure the goalkeeper is informed that the countdown is in progress.
-If the opponent puts pressure on the goalkeeper or blocks during the countdown, the referee will stop the timing and award the goalkeeper the indirect free kick.
This rule applies to all UEFA matches from today.
Previously, UEFA has adjusted Article 14 of the "Football Competition Rules" based on IFAB's clarification, solving the situation where the player touched the ball twice during penalty kicks.