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BALL GONE WRONG
Premier League clubs could be fined for time-wasting tactics by BALL BOYS in never-before-seen ruling
A new countdown for goalkeepers holding the ball is also expected
PREMIER LEAGUE chiefs are planning a crackdown on time-wasting in games by... BALL BOYS.
It follows demands from football’s lawmakers Ifab to stop goalkeepers using delaying tactics.
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‘Spotters’ at matches accused some Prem clubs of ordering ball kids to run down the clock if their team is winning.
And it is understood a panel is looking at possible punishments for not returning the ball to the opposition fast enough.
Ex-Chelsea star Eden Hazard was famously sent off and banned for three matches after kicking 17-year-old Swansea ball boy Charlie Morgan during the 2013 League Cup semi-final.
That prompted warnings to clubs over time-wasting but Prem bosses fear the tactic is creeping back into the game.
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SunSport revealed last week that an eight-second rule is proposed to stop keepers holding the ball for too long.
The radical trial could be used in the EFL lower divisions or the Football League Trophy from next season after being backed by the game’s Law-making body.
The current six-second rule, rarely punished, will be extended to eight.
But then referees can hold up their hands to count down to zero with five seconds left.
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And that would give fans inside stadiums the chance to join in the drama.
Goalkeepers could even be at risk of giving throw-ins or corners away if they fail to release the ball in time.
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Ironically, Hazard's ball boy victim Morgan has gone on to become a multimillionaire since his moment in the spotlight in South Wales in 2013.
And the duo were even reunited recently as they put that chaotic moment behind them.
That is because Morgan and school friend Jackson Quinn launched their own vodka company in 2016.
Au Vodka has gone on an incredible rise over the past eight years thanks to endorsements from the likes of ex-footballer Ronaldinho, club owner Wayne Lineker, and boxing legend Floyd Mayweather.
And Morgan is now worth £40million, enough to see him named on the Sunday Times Rich List in 2022.
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