Premier League to introduce rule change from this weekend onwards; feedback from clubs and match officials has prompted the change; ball boys and girls must now place the match ball on cones around the pitch, rather than handing them directly to players
Friday 29 March 2024 10:13, UK
Premier League ball boys and girls will no longer be able to hand the match ball directly back to players following a change to the multi-ball protocol guidelines.
From this weekend's matches, members of the ball crews will be under instruction to place match balls on cones surrounding the pitch instead of handing them to players, who will then have to retrieve the ball for themselves.
The move has been made to remove the potential for home teams gaining any competitive advantage with their instructions to the ball boys and girls, as well as any possibility of flashpoints connected to the returning of the ball.
League officials insist the recent clash between Coventry manager Mark Robins and a Wolves ball boy in their FA Cup quarter-final was not a trigger for the change.
Instead, it is understood general feedback from clubs - as well as the Premier League officials who oversee the competition rules - has led to the update, which is in keeping with the desire for the ball to be in play for longer during matches.
It follows a Premier League clampdown on time-wasting at the start of the season which has led to significantly increased injury time.
Premier League captains, managers and officials were informed of the coming changes this week and they were officially confirmed on Thursday with the amended guidance.
There will now be five ball stations on each side of the pitch and two at each end plus the match ball in circulation on a given match day, up from the previous total of 10.
Rule L.35 now states: "When the match ball goes out of play and is not quickly retrievable, players must go to the nearest cone to collect a replacement ball themselves to restart play.
"Ball assistants are not permitted to return a ball to a player. Ball assistants are required to return a ball to a vacant cone each time a replacement ball is used.
"Ball assistants should not be positioned next to cones so that it is clear they will not return balls to players (and be behind LED boards where possible)."
That is where ball assistants were moved after a clash between Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno and a ball boy in the Cottagers' 3-0 defeat at the Vitality Stadium on Boxing Day.
Fulham manager Marco Silva claimed the ball boys were acting under instruction to delay the return of the ball once the Cherries were ahead.
Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola denied that any such order had been given.
There have been a number of notable incidents relating to the speed at which assistants returned the ball into play, both good and bad.
Former Chelsea star Eden Hazard was sent off and forced to apologise after kicking a Swansea ball boy as he attempted to retrieve a ball during a 2013 League Cup tie.
But Tottenham, under Jose Mourinho, and Liverpool have both scored memorable Champions League goals following the quick intervention of ball boys.
Mourinho high-fived and hugged a ball boy whose quick throw eventually led to a Harry Kane goal against Olympiacos in 2020 - which helped Spurs reach the last 16.
Liverpool reached the Champions League final in 2019 following a 4-0 second-leg win over Barcelona, with the tie-winning goal that sealed their incredible fightback coming after a quick-thinking youngster rolled a spare ball to Trent Alexander-Arnold, allowing him to take a corner which caught out the Spanish side's defence and was finished by Divock Origi.
