The goalkeeper holds the ball with their hands inside their penalty area for no longer than eight seconds and then drops the ball to the ground instead of throwing or kicking it to a team-mate. What is the correct decision if the goalkeeper is clearly wasting time?

THE DECISION

Since the goalkeeper released the ball from their hands within the eight-second limit, there is no offence and play continues. The goalkeeper is no longer in control of the ball with their hands, so any opponent can challenge them for the ball. If the goalkeeper touches it with their hand/arm again before it has touched another player, the referee will award an indirect free kick.