Introducing the New 8-Second Rule
Keep your eye on the screens this season; there are new rules in town. The IFAB has been at work tweaking the international laws of football to try and make gameplay better and fairer. One of the things they’ve been looking at is the old 6-second rule for goalkeepers.
In the past, keepers had 6 seconds to hand off the ball or forfeit an indirect free kick. However, that was rarely enforced, especially in recent years. The problem? Because the 6-second rule wasn’t really observed, it led to a fair amount of time-wasting on the pitch.
Now, goalkeepers have 8 seconds to pass the ball. If they exceed that time, the opposing team will get a corner kick. That gives them longer to pass the ball, but incentivises them to actually pass it, rather than hold on to it and waste time. Hopefully, that means more exhilarating gameplay for the fans!
See how much difference the new 8-second rule really makes and watch Serie A online at beIN Sports. Full live and on demand Serie A coverage for every Aussie footy fan!
More About Serie A
As European football increases in relevance and popularity across the globe, football leagues like the Serie A, which has been around for over a century, receive much more attention. The higher viewership during last season’s matches is testament to its continually upward momentum. Attracting some of the best players from around the world, Serie A only gets stronger as more football fans recognise the tactical finesse and the impeccable defensive form present in every match.
This season, defending champions Napoli are fighting their corner against some extremely tough opposition. AC Milan, AS Roma, Inter, and Juventus are all breathing down their neck. It’s going to be one crazy-tight title race. You don’t want to miss it! Be there every step of the way and sign up to beIN Sports, where you can stream Serie A games live and on demand.
FAQs
The official broadcaster of Serie A in Australia is beIN Sports. There, you can watch up to 10 live matches available in every round!
Serie A is not on any of Australia’s free-to-air networks at the moment.
Australian fans can watch every Serie A game live and on-demand via the beIN Sports Connect app. beIN Sports is also available via Amazon Prime Video and Fetch.
You can watch Serie A matches for free using beIN Sports’ 7-day free trial. beIN Sports’ also offers a 24/7 sports channel called beIN Xtra. This platform lets you watch selected fixtures from Serie A for free.
The 2025-26 Serie A season comprises 38 rounds, with each of the 20 teams playing a total of 38 matches.
More than live Serie A games, subscription to beIN Sports includes sports streaming features that include access to replays. You can also watch selected Serie A replays for free via beIN Xtra.