Potential Elimination of Ball Retrievers?
In a bid to promote fairness and speed up play, the German Football League (DFL) has recommended that the top 36 professional clubs adopt the multi-ball concept for the upcoming season [1]. This concept, which is not mandatory but highly encouraged, aims to streamline the role of ball boys in the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 [1].
Under the multi-ball concept, ball boys will no longer actively throw or pass the ball to players. Instead, they will be responsible for collecting picked-up balls and placing them on free marking plates strategically positioned at the field edge [1]. This change aims to eliminate the potential for ball boys to influence the game pace or flow, and to ensure quicker restarts of play by having balls readily available at fixed positions [1].
The DFL's goal is to promote fairness and reduce time wasting in the Bundesliga and 2nd Bundesliga. By standardizing the ball retrieval process, the league hopes to eliminate opportunities for time-wasting tactics involving ball retrieval and return [1].
However, the change may have some drawbacks. For instance, it removes the element where ball boys can accelerate play, as seen in the celebrated action of ball boy Noel Urbaniak who assisted a goal by quickly returning the ball to a player during an international game against Italy [1]. Furthermore, the new role may reduce the interaction element between players and ball boys, potentially making the game less dynamic during restart phases [1].
Each ball retriever in the Bundesliga will be responsible for a maximum of three balls, ensuring that the ball boys can quickly and efficiently return the balls to their designated spots [1]. It is strictly prohibited for ball retrievers to hold onto balls or enter the field [1].
The instruction from FIFA, that eight ball boys should be placed around the field, remains in place [1]. The implementation of the multi-ball concept does not affect the requirement of having eight ball boys around the field [1].
The multi-ball concept is designed to ensure fairness and speed up the game by reducing time wasting. In a similar scene, Umut Tohumcu prepared a TSG goal from Mark Uth against Bayern Munich in 2017 as an assistant on the sidelines [1]. The change in the role of ball boys in the Bundesliga is a recommendation for the new season, and it will be interesting to see how it impacts the games and the traditional role of ball boys.
The multi-ball concept, recommended by the German Football League (DFL), aims to streamline play by reducing the potential for ball boys to influence the game pace, instead having balls readily available at fixed positions [1]. With ball boys now responsible for collecting picked-up balls and placing them on free marking plates, the change intends to eliminate opportunities for time-wasting tactics [1].
