New goalkeeper rule applied to Mamelodi Sundowns at Club World Cup

A newly introduced football rule regarding goalkeeper possession time was implemented at the Club World Cup on Wednesday morning, impacting Mamelodi Sundowns during their match against Korean champions Ulsan HD.

FIFA announced that starting this summer, goalkeepers will be allowed eight seconds from catching the ball to releasing it. This change is the latest effort to reduce time-wasting in football.

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The International Football Association Board (IFAB), the game’s rule-makers, decided to implement the law for the start of the 2025-26 season after successful trials in England, Italy, and Malta. This rule will be enforced worldwide by July 1st at all levels of the game, from elite to amateur. It is also in effect for the Club World Cup, which runs from June 15th to July 13th.

On Wednesday morning, French referee Clément Turpin penalized Mamelodi Sundowns goalkeeper Ronwen Williams for holding onto the ball for more than eight seconds. Turpin awarded a corner to Ulsan HD late in the game. He had previously warned Williams when five seconds remained, raising his arm and initiating a visual countdown with his hand.

During trials, IFAB reported only four instances of goalkeepers being penalized across hundreds of matches, even with strict application of the rule.

David Elleray, IFAB technical director and former Premier League referee, told The Times, “Good law changes are where you have a very strong deterrent which everybody implements and then the problem effectively disappears.” He added, “If it speeds up the game, if it’s more positive, it means that it could be one of those very effective deterrents.”

In other news from the tournament, Sundowns made history by becoming the first African team to win at the revamped FIFA Club World Cup, defeating Ulsan HD 1-0.