Football set to undergo major rule change that affects goalkeepers and offside calls as IFAB plan new laws

The International Football Association Board is set to put new laws and rules in place that will affect goalkeepers and offside calls from next season. The body is widely recognized as the lawmakers of the sport, and the new rules have undergone successful trials.

The first major rule change is the number of seconds a goalkeeper can hold onto a ball. The current number is six seconds, and the offending player gets penalized with an indirect free-kick. However, the offence is not often taken seriously.

The new rule will see goalkeepers hold the ball for up to eight seconds. Rather than an indirect freekick, though, the new law will see the offending team penalized with a corner. In a bid to ensure that players get penalized for this, the referees have been instructed to count down the final five seconds. If the goalkeeper is still holding the ball, a corner will be awarded to the opposition.

Another evolving rule is how offsides are decided. Currently, if any part of a player's body is nearer to the opponents' goal line than the football and the second-last opponent (after the halfway line), that player is offside.

A potential change to how offsides are determined will see the "daylight" rule get implemented. As per Daily Mail, this rule states that "an attacker can be ahead of the second-last defender and still be onside. This is as long as at least some part of their body that can score a goal is at least level with that defender..."

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VAR is set to evolve with the emergence of Video Support (VS) System as football rules undergo change

Despite the controversies surrounding VAR, the technology is set to evolve with the emergence of the Video Support System. According to the Daily Mail, football governing body FIFA is working on the system which will be used in competitions that cannot implement VAR.

This will see referees review footage if coaches ask for decisions to be reviewed, and the match officials can change a decision based on the footage. However, a coach can only request two challenges in a match. An EFL spokesperson revealed their plans to be a part of these trials (via Daily Mail):

"The league continues to monitor developments in the work of IFAB and emerging technologies to support match officials.

"While we are mindful of the impact on authenticity of the matchgoing experience for supporters, and the implementation costs for clubs, it is something we continue to keep under review. Any changes would require detailed discussion and approval from our clubs."

In the meantime, the VS system will not be included officially in football until trials are complete.