Liverpool face a talking to from the Premier League over claims they breached the multi-ball protocol multiple times during Sunday’s defeat to Manchester United. Clubs have been fined in the past for repeated breaches, but a reminder of the rules in this instance will likely be the course of action from the league.
Ball assistants threw Liverpool players balls when they went out of play in the aftermath of Harry Maguire putting United 2-1 up in the 84th minute. Replacement balls are instead supposed to be on cones around the pitch, not handed back.
The rule change took effect in the 2022/23 season, requiring outfield players to either retrieve the ball themselves or proceed to the nearest cone. Goalkeepers are the only exception when restarting play with a goal kick.
Premier League guidance states that “participants must not interfere with the multi-ball system, the match ball or the replacement balls at any time.”
It is said that “any failure to follow the multi-ball protocol will be referred to the Premier League for further investigation and possible regulatory action under the Premier League rules.”
Aston Villa received a £125,000 fine in mid-August after conceding that they failed to follow protocol in five matches last season, including on several occasions when ball assistants handed the ball to their players. They were also not allowed to use the multi-ball system in their first three home league matches of this season.
A statement from the Premier League read: “Clubs are required to adopt a multi-ball system at every league match and adherence to the relevant rules and guidance is of vital importance to maintain consistency and, crucially, to ensure that home clubs do not gain a competitive advantage through their misuse of the system.”
The Daily Mail reports that there is an expectation that Liverpool will not receive a fine, adding that United are not known to have made a complaint.
Liverpool and the Premier League have so far made no comment.
Meanwhile, reflecting on his side’s fourth straight defeat, Arne Slot said afterwards: “If you play United, with so many quality players they have – [and] brought in a few new ones this summer – and if they come to us in a low block, playing so many long balls, then the last thing you would want is going 1-0 down.
“Because that gives them even more belief. If you had told me we are 1-0 down against a United team that played in the style they did, and you had told me that we would create eight, nine, or 10 open chances, then I would have said to you that I don’t think that is possible. But it was possible. So, the second thing that went wrong is that from all the chances we got, we only scored one goal.
