By Se谩n O’connor
A new rule will come into effect for Friday鈥檚 League of Ireland games whereby a goalkeeper will concede a free kick if they hold the ball for more than eight seconds.
The new rule was announced by FIFA in March and while it will be enforced in other leagues which kick off later this summer, League of Ireland referees have been briefed on the new development ahead of this weekend鈥檚 domestic action, as well as Irish teams competing in Europe later this month.