· 15 July 2025, 12:30
**The rules of the beautiful game change constantly, sometimes for the better and sometimes to the detriment of the game.**
The Premier League are set to introduce a new rule next season, which was trialled at the Club World Cup, and while we like the idea of the rule as it will serve to make the game more exciting, it could be really bad news for Newcastle United.
As spotted by [NUFCBlog](https://www.nufcblog.co.uk/2025/07/15/the-premier-league-rule-change-that-may-be-pushing-newcastle-to-replace-nick-pope/), a new rule will come into effect next season which is aimed to cut down on goalkeepers' time wasting.
It's perhaps the biggest change for keepers since the backpass rule was introduced in 1992.
James Traffod could be Newcastle's answer to the new rule
Goalkeepers will have eight seconds to get rid of the ball or they will concede a corner
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As stated by NUFCBlog: "_Starting from 1 July, IFAB amended the rules around Law 12.2 (Indirect free kicks) to state: ‘that if a goalkeeper holds the ball for longer than eight seconds (with the referee using a visual five-second countdown), a corner kick will be awarded to the opposing team (rather than an indirect free kick if a goalkeeper holds the ball for more than six seconds, as per the current Laws)’."_
Anyone who's watched the game will know how rarely the six-second rule is enforced, but when a new rule comes in like this, referees are usually red hot on it for the first few weeks of the season at least, before becoming more lax over time.
So, if the rule applies to everyone, why is it so detrimental to Newcastle? Two words: 'Nick' and 'Pope'.
Nick Pope could really struggle with the new rules
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There aren't many goalkeepers in the Premier League who can match Nick Pope for shot-stopping, but there are double amputees with better footwork than our number one goalkeeper.
With the new rules, goalkeepers are going to have to be quick with their feet and be able to distribute the ball efficiently, and those are not Pope's strong suits. Absolutely no disrespect intended.
Newcastle are trying to bring in James Trafford, and as a young, more modern goalkeeper, he'd be better suited for this new rule, but whether he arrives is one thing, and whether he takes the No. 1 spot off Pope is another.
The first few weeks of the season are going to be tense.