Question Number: 28262

Law 5 - The Referee 3/18/2014

RE: Adult

Keith Ellel of BLACKBURN, United Kingdom asks...

Who decides whether ball boys and/or multiple balls are to be used in a match?

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

Hi Keith,

The Football Authority for that particular match may require ball boys to be used as part of their competition rules, and those competition rules also often state the number of balls required.

But even if ball boys are not required some clubs may still choose to use them - just like they may arrange for more balls to be available.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Keith
According to the Laws of the Game, the ball may be changed on the 'authority of the referee'. However, the multiball system was introduced by some football leagues and associations to increase the number of match balls used per game. In the multiball system, a number of match balls, often seven are held by ball boys around the edge of the pitch. When one ball leaves the field of play, the nearest ball boy will release another ball to a player, allowing the game to resume immediately. The system is currently used for UEFA European club tournaments, international competitions and the FIFA World Cup. All balls are checked before kick off to ensure that they meet the required standard
The system is not permitted in the Premier League or early rounds of the FA Cup.
Home teams are free to choose whether to use the system in the English Football League Championship though the referee may not allow it or discontinue the system during a match if it is causing problems or perhaps likely to do so.
Ultimately though it is up to the referee to decide based on the circumstances. I recall a game where the referee discontinued the system during the game as he believed it was being abused causing acrimony between the teams. There are some high profile examples of it causing problems for the game and referees may take that into account where and when it is used.
It is more prevalent on the continent and it is used in La Liga. However it is abused by teams such as speeding up the restart by making the ball available when drawing or behind and then when ahead in the game or late on the ball supply starts to 'dry up' and made available slower to the away team. Example is the goal kick where one sees the ball being thrown almost instantly into the goal area for the goal kick to the away team, when the home team wants play to restart quickly.
As regards the use of ball boys that is agreed with the referee and the home club with clear instructions given as to their positioning and what they can and can't do. Again as long as the ball boy system is not causing a problem or likely to the referee will allow it. In some very tight grounds the referee may be concerned about safety and as such may not allow it. Again it is up to the referee to decide on the day. Ever since the incident between Hazard of Chelsea and the Swansea ball boy it does get closer attention

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