Proposed alteration to Premier League regulations unveiled amid Man City versus Manchester United match

During the afternoon of Sunday, Manchester City and Manchester United have been engaged in a tough Premier League match at the Etihad Stadium.

Mike Dean, a former referee in the Premier League, has dropped hints that a contentious regulation regarding goalkeepers might be poised to undergo a modification in the upcoming season.

The amount of time that a goalkeeper takes to play the ball during goal kicks or when they have it in their hands is something that frequently irritates fans of the soccer team. At the moment, the goalkeeper is only allowed to have possession of the ball for a maximum of six seconds before playing it, regardless of whether they are holding it in their hands or it is dead.

This, however, is something that shot-stoppers frequently flaunt when they are either seeking to slow down the action or preferring to spend unnecessary time. It may be argued that Andre Onana, who plays for Manchester United, was responsible for this during the first half at the Etihad Stadium, when his team was in the lead courtesy to a stunning goal scored by Marcus Rashford.

Dean appeared to reveal a regulation change for the upcoming season, which came as a result of Manchester City fans being frustrated by the length of time the Cameroonian was taking. “I think they are going to up it next year to eight seconds, but I can’t remember the last time a referee pulled a goalkeeper up for it,” he told Sky Sports during the interview.

For goal kicks, the clock begins ticking as soon as the ball is placed on the ground, regardless of the situation. They will continue to do so until the referee instructs them to stop committing the offense.

In the event that the referee determines that a goalkeeper has squandered an excessive amount of time, the present laws of the game permit the match official to issue a booking to the player in question. In the event that a goalie is not considered to be “wasting time,” but has held onto the ball for an excessive amount of time, an indirect free kick is granted to the opposing team, and the goalkeeper is not fined.