Keith Andrews’ Brentford clinched a 3–2 victory over Premier League title holders Liverpool last weekend. During the match, Brentford repeatedly slowed the game down, spending an average of 55.8 seconds on each throw-in — a tactic that has prompted football authorities to discuss action against time-wasting.
Dango Ouattara and Kevin Schade put Brentford ahead with goals in the 5th and 45th minutes. Milos Kerkez pulled one back for Liverpool just before halftime. Igor Thiago then scored from the penalty spot in the second half, easing Brentford’s nerves, before Mohamed Salah scored a late goal in the 95th minute. Despite Liverpool having the stronger squad on paper, Brentford maximized the growing trend of long throw-ins and used the breaks to run down the clock. In total, they took nine minutes and 18 seconds over ten throw-ins — a tactic future teams could now face punishment for.
IFAB considering rule changes for time-wasting
The International Football Association Board (IFAB), which sets the rules of the game, is exploring the idea of introducing a countdown timer for throw-ins to stop teams from deliberately delaying play.
A rule already introduced this season limits goalkeepers to holding on to the ball for a maximum of eight seconds. Referees display a countdown with their fingers during the final five seconds. If the goalkeeper fails to release the ball in time, the opposing team is awarded a corner kick.
This rule came into play when Brentford goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher conceded a corner late in the match for holding the ball for 13 seconds, although Liverpool failed to capitalize.
During a recent virtual meeting of IFAB’s advisory panels, officials considered applying similar punishments to throw-ins if a player delays restarting play.
With many Premier League clubs turning to more direct and physical tactics — relying on long balls and set pieces — long throw-ins have become a key strategy. However, the build-up for these throws often takes as long as a free-kick routine, reducing the actual playing time.
Data from the start of the 2025/26 season shows that long throw-ins have more than doubled compared to the previous campaign, increasing from 1.52 per game to 3.44, and overall ball-in-play time has dropped by over two minutes.
The proposed rule is still under discussion and will be reviewed at IFAB’s annual business meeting in London in January. Additionally, the advisory panel has backed a VAR adjustment that would allow referees to overturn a second yellow card if it was given incorrectly.
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