Football’s lawmakers are exploring the idea of introducing a time limit for throw-ins as part of efforts to increase the amount of time the ball is in play during matches.
The International Football Association Board (Ifab), which oversees the laws of the game, discussed the issue on Tuesday following a sharp rise in long throws across the Premier League this season.
Data from Stats Perform shows that the number of long throws has more than doubled compared with last season, rising from an average of 1.52 per match in 2024–25 to 3.44 per game in the early weeks of this campaign. The growing trend has led to lengthy pauses in play as players prepare for throw-ins in the same way they would set pieces.
The result has been a drop in overall in-play time. The first 40 Premier League matches this season averaged 54 minutes and 21 seconds of ball-in-play time, more than two minutes lower than last season’s average.
Ifab is therefore considering a rule similar to the eight-second restriction already placed on goalkeepers this season. Under the current rule, referees count down with their fingers, and a corner kick is awarded if a goalkeeper fails to release the ball within the time limit.
Officials discussed extending this approach to throw-ins and goal kicks during a virtual meeting of Ifab’s football and technical advisory panels.
Other rule changes under review include allowing the video assistant referee (VAR) to intervene in cases where a second yellow card may have been wrongly issued. Currently, VAR can only review goals, penalties, mistaken identity, and direct red cards.
Ifab also agreed to further examine the offside law, focusing on reducing marginal offside calls to encourage more attacking play.
These proposals will be debated at Ifab’s annual business meeting in London in January, where any formal law changes for the 2026–27 season could be approved.
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