Goalkeepers have adapted to many new rules, but how might the countdown law change football?

“The sight of a goalkeeper gathering a simple shot, collapsing to the ground and taking an age to part with the ball is an infuriating one if your team are trailing. If your team are leading, it is a beautiful form of expressive art. The room for such theatrics is set to be squeezed, however, as the International Football Association Board (IFAB) has acted on what it sees as the rising trend of goalkeepers getting away with time-wasting. A goalkeeper being cautioned for delaying too long at a goal kick is not uncommon, but how often do you see an indirect free kick awarded for a goalkeeper holding the ball in their hands beyond the six-second limit? That rule may even be news to your ears it is so rare. IFAB — comprised of the four home nations of England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland plus FIFA — voted to make a law change that will see the opposition awarded a corner kick rather than an indirect free kick if a goalkeeper holds onto the ball for longer than eight seconds. It will come into effect in June’s Club World Cup in the U.S. …”
NY Times/The Athletic
NY Times/The Athletic: Goalkeeper time-wasting will lead to corners being awarded from 2025-26 in IFAB rule change