A new rule for goalkeepers will be introduced for next season following trials in England and abroad.
Keepers will only be allowed eight seconds from catching the ball to releasing it in a bid to stamp down on time wasting.
If they hold onto the ball longer than the permitted eight seconds, the opposition will be awarded a corner.
Referees will warn keepers when they have five seconds left and carry out a visual countdown with their hand.
The rule will be in place for the first time at the Club World Cup this summer before it’s implemented worldwide from July 1.
David Elleray, former Premier League ref and now technical director for the International Football Association Board, told The Times: "Good law changes are where you have a very strong deterrent which everybody implements and then the problem effectively disappears.
"If it speeds up the game, if it's more positive, it means that it could be one of those very effective deterrents."
The previous rule stated that an indirect free kick should be awarded if a goalkeeper held onto the ball for longer than six seconds but was rarely enforced by the officials.
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Former Rovers goalkeeper Paul Robinson isn’t convinced by the change. He said: “These rules are being made by people that have clearly never played the game. They are giving corners?
“Goalkeepers used to have six seconds – then that went out the game so goalkeepers have started game management and timewasting. Now they are giving an extra two and it's eight.”
Ex-England and West Ham man Rob Green added: “Back in the day there was the six-second rule and that has slowly faded away – I don't know why – I think that was enough of a deterrent.
“Maybe they are thinking the punishment being a bit more lenient may get things going. It seems a strange one to reintroduce, but if we can get more football in the 90 minutes then I'm all for it.”
