Balls on cones: Ball boys should no longer be a home advantage

Ball boys can speed up and slow down the game, but are they always neutral? In England and Italy, players now have to fetch the ball themselves—and this trend is reaching the Bundesliga.

The German Football League (DFL) is recommending the so-called multi-ball concept to its 36 professional clubs. This involves the current ball boys placing the balls on markers and no longer throwing them to the professionals.

The goal is to "promote fairness in the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 by resuming play more quickly and reducing time-wasting." However, implementation of the concept is not mandatory. The FIFA directive still applies, requiring eight ball boys to be positioned around the pitch.

A total of at least 19 balls are used per game: one match ball, and at least 14 additional balls on the long sides and four balls behind the goals.

The Premier League decided in March 2024 that players should no longer receive the ball from ball boys. Instead of throwing it directly to the players, ball boys now place the balls on top of cones placed around the pitch. From there, players must retrieve a ball themselves to continue the game. A total of 15 balls are used per match in the Premier League.

In Italy, a similar approach was adopted for Serie A, with 12 balls being used. The only exceptions in both countries are goalkeepers, who can continue to receive a ball directly from the ball boys.

The background: Ball boys can speed up and slow down the game. But they are selected by the host clubs and can decide, in the interests of the home teams, who they help—and who they don't. This home advantage should no longer exist in England and Italy; both teams should have the same opportunities.

Ball boys were introduced into professional football after the game became increasingly slower and net playing time decreased. However, based on the current principle, they can be a tactical tool for home teams. In Germany, one goal from the 2017/18 season is particularly memorable. A ball boy in Hoffenheim quickly gave Andrej Kramaric another ball after then-Bayern player Mats Hummels had swatted it away.

Kramaric's deftly executed throw-in led to a goal by Mark Uth, the ball boy who was practically directly involved in the goal. Hoffenheim's then-coach Julian Nagelsmann said of the ball boy: "He certainly had a few percentage points in the goal." The ball boy was Umut Tohumcu, who now plays for the TSG first team.

In Portugal, FC Porto players went even further last October. They simply awarded the "Player of the Match" prize to a ball boy who, similar to the one in Hoffenheim in 2017, had initiated a quick move and thus contributed to a goal.

Ball kids are supposed to be neutral components of the game. But especially at the highest level, coaches fight for every small tactical advantage. Some coaches practically made the ball kids members of their team. Pep Guardioala used ball kids to put pressure on teams that were playing for time in Manchester. The opposing players were served a new ball by the ball kids with remarkable promptness.

José Mourinho also saw ball kids as a way to surprise the opposition. During his time at Tottenham Hotspur, he once high-fived a ball kid who had helped set up a goal. Mourinho later invited the boy to dinner with the team.

Defensively, ball boys are logically a means of buying time. If the lead is narrow with the final whistle, the ball boys can theoretically take their time getting the ball back into play. According to UEFA, this is exactly what happened in November 2023 during the Europa League match between Rangers and Sparta Prague. Rangers received a warning from the UEFA Disciplinary Body for finding the ball boys to have engaged in "unsporting conduct."

Another case was more spectacular: In Australia, a ball boy delayed the game in the 2017 Australian Cup final, when Sydney FC were narrowly leading against Adelaide United . An Adelaide player attacked him, and a brawl ensued.

The player saw red, and Sydney won the trophy. The ball boy received a player's medal and was allowed to accept the trophy at the awards ceremony.

Ball boys have also been in the spotlight several times in the Bundesliga. For example, when a ball boy threw the ball over then-Stuttgart goalkeeper Jens Lehmann, who complained of a lack of respect. Kevin De Bruyne, a Wolfsburg player, insulted a ball boy and was fined.

During his time at Chelsea FC in 2013, Eden Hazard also got into a serious confrontation with a ball boy in a game against Swansea City because the boy did not release the ball.

Chelsea lost, Hazard was suspended for three matches, and Swansea ultimately won the League Cup. The ball boy is now a multimillionaire as the owner of a vodka factory. The two later reconciled.

During the Nations League international match against Italy in Dortmund in March, the quick reaction of ball boy Noel Urbaniak led to a curious goal for the German national team.

The teenager was later celebrated for his move: He threw the ball directly to captain Joshua Kimmich, who reacted quickly and sent the corner kick into the middle for Jamal Musiala. The professional scored unchallenged to make it 2-0.

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