The Ulsan Hyundai vs. Sundowns match at the 2025 Club World Cup witnessed an interesting incident involving goalkeeper Ronwen Williams.
The International Football Association Board (IFAB) approved amendments to the Laws of the Game, the most notable of which was the requirement to retake a penalty kick if the kicker touches it twice.
Among the amendments was the abolition of the rule that a goalkeeper has the right to hold the ball for only six seconds, otherwise the opponent will be awarded a free kick from inside the penalty area. The rule was replaced with eight seconds, otherwise it will be a corner kick for the opponent.
Sundowns goalkeeper Williams held the ball for more than eight seconds, only to be surprised by the whistle of French referee Clément Turpin, who awarded a corner kick to Ulsan Hyundai.
¡LA REGLA DE LOS 8 SEGUNDOS SE APLICA POR PRIMERA VEZ EN EL MUNDIAL DE CLUBES! ⏱️
El portero tardó en sacar y Turpin, siguiendo el reglamento, lo sancionó con córner en contra 👀@FIFACWC | Todos los partidos gratis en https://t.co/yWCWbevPop #TakeItToTheWorld pic.twitter.com/pH0ODfPP7m
— DAZN Fútbol (@DAZNFutbol) June 18, 2025
This is the first time the new legal rule has been implemented, and what’s interesting is that it was introduced at the World Cup in full public view, paving the way for its wider use in all competitions next season.
FIFA aims to increase the actual time of matches and prevent time wasting, especially since the old rule was so strict and dangerous that referees preferred not to use it to avoid controversy.
