GUIDES · BETSLIP DOCTOR
What restart follows a goalkeeper holding the ball for more than eight seconds?
Under IFAB's 2026/27 Law 12, if a goalkeeper inside their penalty area controls the ball with their hands or arms for more than eight seconds before releasing it, the opponents receive a corner kick. It is taken from the side closest to the goalkeeper's position when penalised. The referee decides when control begins and visually counts the last five seconds with a raised hand.
For Soccer fans following current Laws of the Game and match restarts · Updated
The referee starts the count at control
The eight seconds begin when the referee judges that the goalkeeper has control of the ball with their hands or arms inside their penalty area. The Law includes the ball held between the hands or arms, held between a hand or arm and a surface such as the ground or the goalkeeper's body, and held in outstretched open hands.
The referee visually counts down the final five seconds with a raised hand. The rule is about controlled possession, not simply how long the goalkeeper has been upright or preparing to release the ball.
Bouncing the ball does not reset the count
Bouncing the ball on the ground or throwing it into the air still counts as control under Law 12.3. IFAB's FAQ confirms that bouncing does not stop or reset the countdown. A brief change in how the goalkeeper handles the ball is not automatically a fresh eight seconds.
The corner is taken from the nearer side
If the referee penalises control lasting more than eight seconds, the opposing team takes a corner from the side closest to the goalkeeper's position at that moment. The location is tied to where the goalkeeper is when penalised, not where the ball was caught.
A fictional control timeline
In a fictional match, the referee judges that a goalkeeper has control at second zero. The keeper bounces the ball at second four, then attempts to release it at second nine. Because bouncing remains control, the count did not restart. If the referee judges control continued beyond eight seconds, the opponents receive a corner from the side closest to the goalkeeper's position when penalised.
Related questions
Does falling to the ground restart the goalkeeper's eight seconds?
No. IFAB's FAQ says the count starts when the goalkeeper has control of the ball, not when the goalkeeper stands up. The referee judges whether control lasted longer than the limit.