Delaying the Restart of Play
Time-wasting at restarts is a yellow-card offence — and 2026/27 introduces visible five-second countdowns for delayed throw-ins and goal kicks.
In this lesson
The cautionable offence
Delaying the restart of play is one of the seven cautionable offences in Law 12. It applies when a player:
- Holds the ball at a restart longer than necessary
- Stands over the ball at a free kick to prevent the opponent retreating
- Wanders away from the throw-in spot to take time before throwing
- Kicks the ball away after the whistle to slow the next restart
- Refuses to return the ball at a goal kick, throw-in, or corner
Each of these is a deliberate slowdown. The sanction is a yellow card.
What 2026/27 changes
IFAB has introduced new measures to improve match flow and player behaviour. Among them:
- Five-second visible countdowns for delayed throw-ins and goal kicks. The referee signals five seconds with their hand. If the player does not restart within the count, a caution can follow.
- Ten-second substitution exit timing to stop substituted players walking the long way off
- One-minute off-field treatment rules for injured players to discourage feigning injury
These rules are listed as competition options in some cases, meaning leagues choose whether to adopt them. Major competitions in 2026/27 are expected to use them.
How referees apply pressure
Referees rarely book on the first instance. The standard escalation:
- Verbal warning — "Move it, get on with it"
- Visible signal — the five-second countdown or hand gesture
- Yellow card — when the delay continues after the warning
The pattern matters. A booked goalkeeper who slows the next goal kick is at risk of a second yellow.
The goalkeeper-specific rule
Goalkeepers used to be allowed six seconds to release the ball. Under the 2025/26 changes, the limit was extended to eight seconds, enforced with a visible countdown — but the sanction was changed:
- Old rule — indirect free kick on the six-yard line
- New rule — corner kick to the opposing team
This is a stronger sanction in practice. The yellow card path for delaying the restart still applies on top of the corner.
When it is not a caution
Not every slow restart is a delay:
- A player gathering themselves after a hard challenge
- An injury delay where genuine treatment is needed
- A throw-in where the ball has rolled and the player is retrieving it
- Crowd interference at the touchline
The Laws ask the referee to distinguish deliberate from incidental. A booking lands when the slowdown is clearly chosen.
Late-game patterns
Time-wasting is most common in the final ten minutes when one team is leading. Referees know this and watch for it. Both teams can be cautioned — leading teams for slowing restarts, trailing teams for kicking the ball away after being awarded a free kick they don't want to play quickly.
Stoppage time is added to compensate for these delays, but a yellow card is the direct sanction for the player responsible.
Sources
Last reviewed 2026-05-08