Liverpool and Premier League teams could experience new and harsh time wasting rule

The International Football Association Board [IFAB] is testing a new rule to penalize goalkeepers who keep the ball in their possession for too long.

The suggested rule would grant a corner kick to the opposing club if a keeper fails to release the ball within eight seconds, similar to the NBA's five-second inbound rule. Irish FA's chief executive and an IFAB board member, Patrick Nelson, brought the proposal to light. When speaking to the press, he said the organization's belief after conducting research suggests that the change will help its broader effort to improve the game's pace.

"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," he said. "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.”

• Mohamed Salah contract: Egypt icon congratulates Liverpool star in groundbreaking update

• Steven Gerrard issues response after club fires his assistants as Saudi nightmare continues

"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,” he continued. “It’s going to change goalkeeper behavior."

Today's Premier League rules allow goalkeepers to hold the ball for up to six seconds before releasing it into play. Failing to meet the time limit can result in an indirect free kick for the opposing team, but the enforcement of this rule has been inconsistent, leading to talks about changes to prevent time-wasting.

The rule has been tested successfully in the Premier League's U21 league and is set for further trials in Italy’s U20 league. Instead of a corner kick, Italy's trial of the rule will result in a throw-in for the opposition.

If both trials continue to produce positive outcomes, top-tier leagues, including the Premier League and Serie A, could adopt the rule. From VAR to semi-automated offside technology, soccer is increasingly leaning on data and innovation to modernize the game.

"You’ve got a situation where goalkeepers are holding the ball for nine, ten seconds, sometimes 13 or 14 seconds. They’re wasting six or seven seconds every time," said Gary Neville on his podcast. "That never gets pulled up and that rule is still in. It drives me crazy."