With Ronwen Williams having become the first player in history to be penalised for holding onto the ball for too long, it has now been revealed that more football rule changes could be introduced.
During the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, the Mamelodi Sundowns star became the first player ever to be penalised for holding the ball too long in a match against Ulsan HD.
The South African goalkeeper was penalised under FIFA’s new law, which prohibits goalkeepers from holding the ball in their hands for more than eight seconds.
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The rule stipulates that if a goalkeeper exceeds the eight-second limit, a corner kick is awarded to the opposing team.
With this law reportedly making a big difference in reducing time-wasting, further rule changes are under review, with implementation planned for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
According to The Times, the International Football Association Board (IFAB) is considering expanding the scope of VAR.
Under the proposed changes, VAR could intervene in corner kicks, penalties, and second yellow cards.
One proposal suggests scrapping rebounds from penalties to avoid giving attackers an additional advantage.
VAR could also be used to overturn incorrectly awarded corners.
The final decision on these reforms will be announced in March 2026, with implementation from 1 June 2026.
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By Lukhanyo Mtuta
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