Inevitably it'll end up with "that was never 5 seconds" or "it's been at least 10 seconds"...
The ref can currently book a goalie for time wasting and he can be a lot more subjective about it. A losing team taking their time is entirely up to them, but a winning team mucking about can be penalised at the discretion of the ref after a few warnings. Ultimately if the ref has booked the goalie and warned him multiple times he can escalate it to an indirect free kick.
If this rule came in the ref would have to enforce it every single time the goalie has the ball in hands. There'd also be players getting in the way of the goalie to prevent him from taking it properly, or counting down on behalf of the ref in front of the goalie, etc... I think it would be better for the ref to be allowed to exercise discretion because in the scheme of things it's hardly the most important officiating issue that needs addressing.
I'd rather they focused on penalising players who dive or roll around feigning injury. I don't think I've ever seen a player who's had to be treated on the pitch and then made to wait 30 seconds before coming back on take longer than that. They're always chomping at the bit to be let back on.
Your interpretation of the current rules is, i'm afraid, completely inaccurate. They don't even state what you say they state.
I'm fully aware of what the laws are. If the ref enforced the rules to the letter of the law for every single offence then the game would be unplayable. In fact the law 5.2 states "Decisions will be made to the best of the referee’s ability according to the Laws of the Game and the ‘spirit of the game’ and will be based on the opinion of the referee, who has the discretion to take appropriate action within the framework of the Laws of the Game.".
For example:
1. Goalie 6 second rule, broken every single game played.
2. Impeding the progress of a player (indirect free kick), happens most games.
3. A player attempts to deceive the referee, e.g. by feigning injury or pretending to have been fouled (simulation) - automatic cautionable offence
4. Verbally distracts an opponent during play or at a restart - cautionable offence
5. A player must be cautioned, when celebrating a goal, if acting in a provocative, derisory or inflammatory way.
6. Referees must caution players who delay the restart of play by:
• appearing to take a throw-in but suddenly leaving it to a team-mate to take
• delaying leaving the field of play when being substituted
• excessively delaying a restart
• kicking or carrying the ball away, or provoking a confrontation by deliberately touching the ball after the referee has stopped play
• taking a free kick from the wrong position to force a retake
7. Etc...
Number 6 happens multiple times in a game but the ref doesn't punish every single offence. Referees are always using their discretion to apply the rules/laws of the game. Adding a new rule where the ref counts five seconds on their fingers will be utterly ridiculous.
The game wouldn’t be unplayable if refs applied the laws all the time. Players would adapt. Fans would respect the consistency. And it would filter down to grass roots football.
That’s the point. The game would be better for it. The real winners would be officials at grass roots level and ultimately fans in time, because more refs will stay in the game, more will want to be refs and therefore the quality would rise.
Rab C NesbittThe game wouldn’t be unplayable if refs applied the laws all the time. Players would adapt. Fans would respect the consistency. And it would filter down to grass roots football.
That’s the point. The game would be better for it. The real winners would be officials at grass roots level and ultimately fans in time, because more refs will stay in the game, more will want to be refs and therefore the quality would rise.
👍
Up the Rab...