Goalkeepers to Get More Time and Penalty Kick Procedures Clarified as the NFHS Updates Soccer Rules

Several significant rules updates are coming to high school soccer beginning with the 2026-27 school year, including changes involving goalkeepers, penalty kicks, cards and equipment.

NFHS Approves Several Soccer Rule Changes for 2026-27 Season

The updates were among 13 proposals recommended by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Soccer Rules Committee during its February 9-11 meeting in Indianapolis. The proposals were later approved by the NFHS Board of Directors.

According to NFHS officials, the updates are part of an ongoing effort to modernize the soccer rulebook and make it clearer for coaches, players and officials.

“This year's updates represent another exciting step in our ongoing effort to modernize the NFHS Soccer Rules Book,” said Julie Cochran, NFHS director of sports and liaison to the Soccer Rules Committee. “With major rewrites to Rules 13 and 14, we've made significant progress in creating a resource that is clearer, more intuitive, and easier for coaches, players and officials to use.”

New Guidance for Yellow Cards and Red Cards

One of the notable changes involves how officials administer yellow and red cards.

Updated language in Rule 5-3-1 states that referees must clearly display the yellow or red card while indicating the player, substitute, coach or bench personnel receiving the caution. If a player receives a second caution in the same match, the official will first display a yellow card for the second offense and then immediately follow with a red card to signify the ejection.

Officials are also now required to notify both coaches, the scorer and other game officials of the misconduct after issuing the card.

Goalkeepers Get Eight Seconds to Release the Ball

A key change affecting gameplay involves goalkeepers.

Starting next season, goalkeepers will have eight seconds — instead of six — to release the ball after gaining possession with their hands.

If the goalkeeper holds the ball longer than eight seconds, the opposing team will now be awarded a corner kick rather than an indirect free kick.

Penalty Kick Rule Adjustments

The NFHS also updated Rule 14 to clarify situations involving penalty kick encroachment.

Encroachment will now only be penalized if the violation clearly impacts the play. Goalkeepers will receive a warning for their first violation rather than an automatic caution, recognizing that many infractions occur because of anticipation or timing errors.

The updated rule also allows stutter steps during a kicker’s approach but prohibits feinting once the player has completed the run-up to the ball.

In rare cases where both the kicker and goalkeeper commit violations simultaneously, the kicker will be penalized since illegal feinting often triggers the goalkeeper’s reaction.

“These revisions to the penalty kick rule better reflect the spirit of the game,” said Soccer Rules Committee chair Gibby Reynolds.

Additional Clarifications on Fouls and Restarts

Several rules related to fouls and restarts were also clarified.

The rules committee added “biting” to the list of direct free kick fouls and expanded language to address verbal offenses, giving officials greater flexibility when dealing with unsporting behavior.

Updates were also made to the section governing free kicks to better define restart procedures in situations involving outside agents, players leaving the field without permission, or other unusual scenarios.

Equipment and Technology Rules Updated

The committee also clarified equipment guidelines.

The home team must now wear dark socks that contrast with the visiting team’s required solid white socks. Mouthguards, if worn, must serve only a protective purpose and cannot be used for any other function.

Additionally, players are prohibited from wearing any audio or video recording devices during matches, aligning soccer with other NFHS sports rules. State associations may impose additional restrictions on electronic devices.

Soccer Remains One of the Most Popular High School Sports

According to the latest NFHS High School Athletics Participation Survey, soccer remains one of the most widely played sports in the country.

Boys soccer ranks fourth nationally with 484,908 players at 12,969 schools, while girls soccer ranks third with 393,048 participants across 12,516 schools.

The updated 2026-27 NFHS Soccer Rules Book will be released in late May in both print and digital formats.