Multi ball

[Hexham Hibee]

This is something we should use to stop, or at least cut down on time wasting by teams that come to ER and run down the clock. We never get any help from refs so why not? Does the SFA/SPFL not allow it?

[ColinNish]

What is this? Please explain.

[Baw187]

I think he's referring to ball boys all having a ball to keep play moving rather than some radge in the south stand having to clamber over banners and empty seats to retrieve the one ball, while we are desperate to get on with play usually when we're not winning.

[Hexham Hibee]

It's where every ball boy has a ball and as soon as the ball goes out of play the nearest ball boy throws his one the the opponent taking the goal kick or throw in. Especially where the keeper is involved and decides to ties his laces, have a drink or fix his make up before eventually taking the goal kick.

We used multi ball once when Berti Auld was our manager and he withdrew all our ball boys when we went a goal up.

[ColinNish]

I think he's referring to ball boys all having a ball to keep play moving rather than some radge in the south stand having to clamber over banners and empty seats to retrieve the one ball, while we are desperate to get on with play usually when we're not winning.

Thanks.

[Mainstandman]

I think it shouldn't be up to the goalie to take a bye kick. Either the last defender restarts play inside 10 secs or a ball is fired out to land in the centre circle 10 secs after going out. Stops all that time wasting

[GreenNWhiteArmy]

Absolutely. Particularly in the championship. Teams will boot the ball out of play and by the time we've got the ball back and taken the throw (which seems to take an age because of no movement at times) the opposition are back in shape.

Multi ball surely gives us a constant tempo when teams coming to Easter Road are their to time waste

[StevieCowan]

I could be wrong but multi ball system isn't allowed in Scotland or at least in the leagues below the premiership.

[Nicho87]

Those balls are probably about £60 each.... no chance Petrie will sanction such a thing :)

[wookie70]

The problem comes when the ball from the stand gets chucked back onto the park and play has to be stopped. Any ideas to stop time wasting and cheating are good with me though. I would hate to think how much of my season ticket money is spent watching keepers walk across their goal to take a bye from the other side of kick their boots on the posts.

[West lower]

If you want to speed things up here's my take. I think substitutions should just take place as the game goes on. There is a fourth official at the dug outs who can do this . This would eliminate the time wasting slow walk off from the other side of the pitch.

[Jim44]

If you want to speed things up here's my take. I think substitutions should just take place as the game goes on. There is a fourth official at the dug outs who can do this . This would eliminate the time wasting slow walk off from the other side of the pitch.

Why not have it that the substituted player leaves the pitch at the nearest line?

[West lower]

Why not have it that the substituted player leaves the pitch at the nearest line?
If the game was carrying on regardless, the subbed players would be getting off the pitch asap, which would be the nearest point.

[NadeAteMyLunch!]

The Barcelona ball boys had this down to a tea at the recent PSG second leg.

[Martin Dundas]

I think it shouldn't be up to the goalie to take a bye kick. Either the last defender restarts play inside 10 secs or a ball is fired out to land in the centre circle 10 secs after going out. Stops all that time wasting

Cracking idea mainstandman. Would it be some sort of cannon or would someone just punt it in from the directors box?

[ruthven_raiders]

If you want to speed things up here's my take. I think substitutions should just take place as the game goes on. There is a fourth official at the dug outs who can do this . This would eliminate the time wasting slow walk off from the other side of the pitch.

My take is real time football, games last 60mins, so clock stops when ball goes out of play etc, studies have shown that ball is in play 57 to 58 mins during a 90min game

[Niffy]

Cracking idea mainstandman. Would it be some sort of cannon or would someone just punt it in from the directors box?

Ooo ooo , or 10 sponsors , numbered 1-10 wait with a ball each around the pitch to boot it in.
Or they all do it at once and there's a prize for whoevers ball gets used.

[NORTHERNHIBBY]

For proper time wasting the refs watch should be able to stop when the game stops. Sometimes it takes the best part of a minute for a team to line up for the kick off after a goal. Perhaps we should get away from the idea that it is injury time? Would also be good if this information was collected, published and acted on. No team would want to be top of the league of the time wasters.

[BoomtownHibees]

For proper time wasting the refs watch should be able to stop when the game stops. Sometimes it takes the best part of a minute for a team to line up for the kick off after a goal. Perhaps we should get away from the idea that it is injury time? Would also be good if this information was collected, published and acted on. No team would want to be top of the league of the time wasters.

Could have an official timekeeper doing it rather than the ref. Stopping and restarting the clock every time the ball is out of play

[ACLeith]

My take is real time football, games last 60mins, so clock stops when ball goes out of play etc, studies have shown that ball is in play 57 to 58 mins during a 90min game

I have been beating this drum for years so fully agree RR. OK it needs a further official for timekeeping as the ref can't really do this but Kills time wasting at a stroke.

[Hibbyradge]

My take is real time football, games last 60mins, so clock stops when ball goes out of play etc, studies have shown that ball is in play 57 to 58 mins during a 90min game

I think the Sunday Post used to anslyse games like that and they would publish how long the ball was in play.

IIRC, sometime it was as low as 30 odd minutes.

[AltheHibby]

Could have an official timekeeper doing it rather than the ref. Stopping and restarting the clock every time the ball is out of play

That's how they do it in basketball. I like the idea.

[Craig_in_Prague]

It's used here in the Czech league; which probably coincides with the fact I hardly see more than 2 added minutes at most games.
The ball boys do a good job getting the ball to the right player and keep the game moving.
Seems just common sense, for some reason in Scotland it's lacking.

[Mainstandman]

Cracking idea mainstandman. Would it be some sort of cannon or would someone just punt it in from the directors box?
The oppposition bench have to do it, if it's more than ten secs then it's a penalty to the opposition.

[GreenOnions]

It might help if our ball boys actually stood up occasionally and maybe even looked like they were interested in getting the ball back quickly. It appears to me that very few of them want to do anything at all.

[Garymcl]

Been going about this for ages most teams coming to play us last thing they want is a fast pace game ball goes out of play ball boys bless there wee cotton socks either don't bother going for ball or in many cases they're so small canny sometimes retrieve it game slows down opposition get a breather back in there positions etc need either more ballboys or get older i.e. Youth team players to do the jobs