Former England keeper Robinson questions eight-second rule

LONDON : A new rule that will see goalkeeper's penalised by the awarding of a corner kick for time wasting has been criticised by former England stopper Paul Robinson.

The International Football Association Board (IFAB) announced on Saturday that they were amending Law 12.2 from next season when keepers will be penalised for holding the ball for more than eight seconds.

Referees will start the clock as soon as the goalkeeper has gathered the ball and will visually count down five seconds and award a corner if the player has not released the ball.

Previously a six-second rule had been in place, punishable with an indirect free kick, but is has been loosely applied.

"These rules are being made by people that have clearly never played the game. They are giving corners?" Robinson, told the BBC. "Goalkeepers used to have six seconds - then that went out the game so goalkeepers have started game management and time-wasting. Now they are giving an extra two and it's eight."

IFAB insist the new rule that comes into force for all levels of the game on July 1 will speed up play. It will be used at this year's FIFA Club World Cup that starts in June.

Another former England keeper, Rob Green, believes the six-second rule should have been more strictly enforced.

"Back in the day there was the six-second rule and that has slowly faded away - I don't know why - I think that was enough of a deterrent," he told the BBC.

"It seems a strange one to reintroduce, but if we can get more football in the 90 minutes then I'm all for it. As a percentage there's only around a 4 per cent chance of scoring from a corner so it isn't that much of a threat but at the end of the game, the last thing your team mates want to do is defend a set-piece if you're winning."