Goalkeeper Time-Wasting Is Finally Being Tackled In the WSL

With increasing pressure, especially in the WSL, where goalkeepers are taking liabilities for how long they take, the International Football Association Board has made some amendments to the law of the game for the next season, with the WSL putting itself forward for this change.

IFAB unanimously approved a significant change to time management for keepers: they cannot hold the ball for more than eight seconds. The referee uses a visual five-second countdown. If they do not release the ball in time, the opposing team will receive a corner kick. This is aimed at reducing time-wasting in games.

Another issue is the ‘tactical time-out’ for goalkeepers, which keeps recurring in the league; it is very common for goalkeepers to go down needing medical treatment, as the game has to stop while they receive treatment on the field. This means players can speak to the manager on the sidelines or change tactics. This has significantly impacted the game, especially when keepers go down without injury, leaving the team to uphold fair play. 

The IFAB is exploring temporarily removing an outfield player if a goalkeeper receives treatment, banning players from going to the touchline, something Sonia Bompastor, Chelsea manager, suggested would help prevent managers from offering tactics and changes during the game. Another suggestion is that only the captains can communicate with the coaches during stoppages.

A defendant in this is Phallon Tullis-Joyce, who went down for treatment against Arsenal after they had gone down to ten players, which allowed them to reorganise significantly and impacted the rest of the game. The Manchester United player was the first goalkeeper booked for time-wasting in WSL history.

In the United's most recent game against Chelsea, in extra time, she went down with no contact; in fact, the action was down the other end. She went down to the floor in hopes of stopping the pressure on her side. With Chelsea fans booing her, knowing what she was doing, the referee did not notice and did not stop the game. Once she realised nothing was going to happen, she got back up fine, as if nothing was wrong in the first place. 

Though this has been a recurring issue with the tactic being used by Ann-Katrin Berger and Manuela Zinsberger in the past, former Chelsea manager Emma Hayes previously criticised the practice.

Renee Sleger said: “It harms the attractiveness of the game and disrupts momentum, affecting fans' experience in the stadium and on TV.”

She did acknowledge that teams will always look for ways to stretch the rules.

Bompastor, Chelsea manager, agreed with Sleger on changes to ensure fairness to fans.

Marc Skinner, Manchester United manager, whose number one keeper has been a key defender against this foul play, admits he understands the ‘cynical side’ and that he welcomes new rules because his team regularly face them themselves.

The data does not lie: these issues have crippled the league, with up to 13 minutes lost in some matches due to goal-kick delays; Arsenal vs Brighton and Man City vs Leicester among the worst-affected games.

Goalkeepers in the league have received five yellow cards for time-wasting this season, one short of the total for the 2024/25 season. Liverpool goalkeeper Faye Kirby has received two bookings, the most in the league.

The message is clear. Reduce time-wasting. Increase ball-in-play time. Protecting the game's entertainment value. With the managers broadly supporting reform, the WSL becomes the testing ground for future solutions.

With increasing pressure, especially in the WSL, where goalkeepers are taking liabilities for how long they take, the International Football Association Board has made some amendments to the law of the game for the next season, with the WSL putting itself forward for this change.

IFAB unanimously approved a significant change to time management for keepers: they cannot hold the ball for more than eight seconds. The referee uses a visual five-second countdown. If they do not release the ball in time, the opposing team will receive a corner kick. This is aimed at reducing time-wasting in games.

Another issue is the ‘tactical time-out’ for goalkeepers, which keeps recurring in the league; it is very common for goalkeepers to go down needing medical treatment, as the game has to stop while they receive treatment on the field. This means players can speak to the manager on the sidelines or change tactics. This has significantly impacted the game, especially when keepers go down without injury, leaving the team to uphold fair play. 

The IFAB is exploring temporarily removing an outfield player if a goalkeeper receives treatment, banning players from going to the touchline, something Sonia Bompastor, Chelsea manager, suggested would help prevent managers from offering tactics and changes during the game. Another suggestion is that only the captains can communicate with the coaches during stoppages.

A defendant in this is Phallon Tullis-Joyce, who went down for treatment against Arsenal after they had gone down to ten players, which allowed them to reorganise significantly and impacted the rest of the game. The Manchester United player was the first goalkeeper booked for time-wasting in WSL history.

In the United's most recent game against Chelsea, in extra time, she went down with no contact; in fact, the action was down the other end. She went down to the floor in hopes of stopping the pressure on her side. With Chelsea fans booing her, knowing what she was doing, the referee did not notice and did not stop the game. Once she realised nothing was going to happen, she got back up fine, as if nothing was wrong in the first place. 

Though this has been a recurring issue with the tactic being used by Ann-Katrin Berger and Manuela Zinsberger in the past, former Chelsea manager Emma Hayes previously criticised the practice.

Renee Sleger said: “It harms the attractiveness of the game and disrupts momentum, affecting fans' experience in the stadium and on TV.”

She did acknowledge that teams will always look for ways to stretch the rules.

Bompastor, Chelsea manager, agreed with Sleger on changes to ensure fairness to fans.

Marc Skinner, Manchester United manager, whose number one keeper has been a key defender against this foul play, admits he understands the ‘cynical side’ and that he welcomes new rules because his team regularly face them themselves.

The data does not lie: these issues have crippled the league, with up to 13 minutes lost in some matches due to goal-kick delays; Arsenal vs Brighton and Man City vs Leicester among the worst-affected games.

Goalkeepers in the league have received five yellow cards for time-wasting this season, one short of the total for the 2024/25 season. Liverpool goalkeeper Faye Kirby has received two bookings, the most in the league.

The message is clear. Reduce time-wasting. Increase ball-in-play time. Protecting the game's entertainment value. With the managers broadly supporting reform, the WSL becomes the testing ground for future solutions.