Whenever I watch Reading play at the Madejski Stadium, there is one team that always impresses me. That is the team of Ball Boys and Girls that surround the field of play. Whenever the ball goes out of play for a throw-in, goal kick or corner, they ignore the ball that has gone over the line and immediately throw another ball back to the player who is going to take the kick or throw. Not only does this keep the game moving and gives us more football for our money, it also prevents players from deliberately delaying the restart.
I've often been asked if this is all legal. For years there was only one ball used throughout the game, unless it went flat or was otherwise damaged or someone kicked it out of the ground. The Laws of the Game say that 'The referee ensures that any ball used meets the requirements of Law 2'. Law 2 specifies the shape, construction, circumference, weight and pressure that the ball must be. By saying any ball, the laws means every ball. I'm sure that the club deposits all the balls to be used in the referee's dressing room before the match. Just think of the referee and his assistants testing every ball with their tapes measures and pressure gauges. No wonder they have to get to the ground three hours before kick-off.
In local football you are often lucky to be presented with one decent ball pumped up to the correct pressure and most referees use the rule of thumb. That is to say they press a thumb into the ball and if it doesn't sink in too far, ifs fit to play.
The Law also says that the ball must not be changed without the permission of the referee. By checking out all the balls the referee is giving his permission for their rapid replacement but of course these multiple balls can create problems
for the referee. One Reading player was cautioned when he kicked a ball away, the referee not realising there were two balls on the go. Last season in the playoffs, Wigan manager Steve Bruce accused the ball boys and girls of helping Reading by speeding up the game. That was of course unfounded, not like a coach in Brazil who ordered his ball boys to throw spare balls onto the pitch to disrupt visitors attacks.
Referee Steve Dunn had a problem at the West Bromwich Albion game against Millwall. The Millwall goalkeeper kicked the ball into the stand and the quick throw-in with a spare ball went to Albion's Dennis Mclnnes. The original ball then came back on the field near to Steve Reid of Miliwall. Normally a player would kick the ball off but not Reid. He directed it at Mclnnes to stifle a promising Albion attack. I'm not sure whether Reid was cautioned but it seemed to be a definite piece of unsporting behaviour.
On local parks the only problem in this respect is likely to come from a ball appearing from an adjacent pitch. Mostly it is just kicked back but it can cause a problem as happened in another West Brom game in the Worthington Cup. An Albion defender kicked the ball up on to the roof of the stadium. A ball boy quickly gave a spare ball to a Cambridge player who set up an attack with the ball being crossed into the penalty area. At the same time the first ball came off the roof into the goal mouth. The referee stopped play as the second ball went into the net. He had no option because in these cases the ball has become an outside agent interfering with play.
I think the idea of rapid ball replacement is a great one but like most new things in football it can create more unusual problems for the referee.
Dick Sawdon Smith