SRSport Rules
Football

Goalkeepers now have an eight-second clock.

The old six-second rule was rarely enforced. The modern law is designed to be clearer: the referee judges control, counts the last five seconds visibly, and awards a corner if the goalkeeper keeps the ball too long.

Quick ruling: if a goalkeeper controls the ball with the hand or arm inside their own penalty area for more than eight seconds before releasing it, the restart is a corner kick to the opponents.
Decision path

How the referee checks it

  1. Decide when the goalkeeper has hand or arm control of the ball.
  2. Start the eight-second count once control is established and the goalkeeper can release the ball.
  3. Use the visible raised-hand countdown for the final five seconds.
  4. If the ball is released in time, play continues.
  5. If the goalkeeper exceeds eight seconds, award a corner from the side nearest the goalkeeper's position when penalised.
Control

What starts the count

  • Held ball: the goalkeeper has control when holding the ball in the hands or arms.
  • Ball against a surface: control can include pinning the ball between hand or arm and the ground or body.
  • Bouncing or tossing: bouncing the ball or throwing it in the air does not reset the right to keep holding it indefinitely.
Restart

Why it becomes a corner

The sanction changed from an indirect free kick to a corner kick because indirect free kicks inside the penalty area were awkward, slow, and rarely used for this offence. The new corner-kick sanction is simpler and more visible.

Opponents

No challenging the keeper

Opponents cannot challenge a goalkeeper who has hand or arm control of the ball. If they interfere with the release or obstruct the goalkeeper during the count, the referee can stop the count and punish the opponent instead.

Common argument

"The referee counted too late"

The referee decides when control begins. The visible countdown is only the final five seconds, so fans may not see the first part of the timing even when the referee has already started judging the delay.