IFAB are trialling a ‘very interesting’ rule change Celtic’s opponents will fear

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If there is one thing that Celtic fans dislike about football it’s how their opponents look to waste time almost immediately from kick-off.

It is, without doubt, the biggest bugbear of many Hoops fans who go to games to enjoy the fast and free-flowing football that Brendan Rodgers is serving up right now.

IFAB has trialled changes to VAR and is also in the process of tackling the problem with offside which is often the scourge of Celtic striker Kyogo Furuhashi.

But it seems that the game’s rule-makers, IFAB are looking at trying to stop this by changing a rule that targets goalkeepers and their part in time-wasting in the game.

Two IFAB trials to stop goalkeepers’ time-wasting will interest Celtic fans

Under the current IFAB rule, if a goalkeeper holds onto the ball for six seconds or more then an indirect free-kick is awarded. But how often referees apply that rule differs as there doesn’t seem to be an appetite to offer teams an opportunity so close the their opponent’s goal.

In a trial in Malta, goalkeepers held the ball on 796 occasions but never exceeded eight seconds for fear of conceding a corner.

The trial in Italy will take place in their under-20 league and instead of a corner, a throw-in will be awarded.

To explain the results, the IFAB board of director and the Irish FA’s CEO, Patrick Nelson lauded the trial and shared how it’s changed goalkeepers’ behaviour in football.

Celtic fans will like the IFAB trial to stop time-wasting by goalkeepers

Nelson told The Times, “The data that’s coming out of it so far is very, very interesting, in that the two trials so far have been that if the goalkeeper is holding on to the ball too long, the referee will award a corner.

“The instances of corners being awarded are almost non-existent, which would indicate to us, certainly looking at the data, that the deterrent is exactly what we would want it to be at this point, and it’s speeding up the goalkeepers letting go of the ball and bringing it back into play.”

“The wrath of any coach for any goalkeeper who’s given away a corner or a throw-in that leads to a goal is always certainly going to mean the goalkeeper is not going to do that twice.

“It’s going to change goalkeeper behaviour.”

If this rule change does come in it is likely not to be adopted until the start of next season and this is how it will be applied:

• The referee will start counting the eight seconds when the goalkeeper has clear control of the ball with the hand/hands.
• The referee will use a raised hand to clearly show the countdown from five seconds to zero.
• The corner kick/throw-in resulting from an offence will be taken from the side of the field of play closest to where the goalkeeper was positioned when penalised.
• The goalkeeper will be warned for the first offence and cautioned (yellow card) for any subsequent offence(s).

This move is likely to be welcomed by the majority of Celtic fans should the rule change come to pass in the near future.