That First League is the introduction of a multi-ball system for the upcoming season, with 10 cue balls used in every top game to speed up play and reduce wasted time.
One ball will be in play, one with the fourth official and eight will be placed on cones at various points on the field. Two are behind each goal and two along each sideline. Those behind the goal must be positioned so that they do not interfere with the hawk-eye goal decision system.
Clubs have been ordered to use at least eight ball assistants, who must make eye contact with the player resuming play before throwing the ball to him and pass the ball to both clubs at the same speed.
The Premier League will introduce a multi-ball system next season
Rooney can go for free to join the leading group
It is understood Wayne Rooney has a clause in his contract with MLS club DC United that allows him to move to a Premier League club for free should an offer be made. The former derby boss is ambitious and wants to move up to the premier league at some point in his career.
Wayne Rooney (C) poses with club staff, management and players during a news conference
to discuss knee removal
The squat is expected to be among the topics discussed between Premier League captains on a weekly Zoom call on Thursday.
Skippers will be able to “provide feedback, ask questions and of course give their opinion on all football matches,” according to a Premier League circular sent to clubs. Clubs were asked to send in discussion topics with an agenda to follow.
In August last year, players from all 20 clubs decided to continue the pre-kick gesture to underline their opposition to racism. They have been doing this since June 2020 with the full support of the Premier League, while players and officials wore ‘No Room for Racism’ badges on their shirts.
Commonwealth Games demand disappointing
It was interesting to see TV commercials flogging tickets to the Commonwealth Games.
The message from Birmingham organizers has always been that tickets sell fast. TV commercials with a 10-day remaining term suggest otherwise.
Farah’s agency continues to deliver
Sir Mo Farah has teamed up again with Freud’s agency to publish the BBC article in which he revealed he had been smuggled into the UK and forced to work as a domestic servant.
Farah took over the agency after complaining that he was tired of answering questions about drug tests.
Interesting times for some of the reporters following the Premier League pre-season tours of America. One showed up in Baltimore to cover the Arsenal tour, only to find the hotel locked. Eventually a police officer opened the door and the reporter was told that the booking had been canceled and the hotel closed for the night because there had been a murder.
Meanwhile, across the country, a journalist covering Chelsea in Los Angeles witnessed a police officer shoot a man about 20 meters from where he was.
Visa is worried about the Olympics
The shocking visa problems faced by some top athletes hoping to compete at the IAAF World Championships in Eugene this week have squeezed organizers of the LA28 Olympics.
If US immigration officials can’t process a few hundred visas in time, what hope is there for the thousands of athletes who will be applying for the LA Olympics? We can expect IOC chief Thomas Bach to raise this with LA28 President Casey Wasserman when he visits the city today to discuss game preparations.
US press conferences surprise in the spring
Journalists were slightly confused at the sight of a group of supporters wearing hard hats present at Gareth Bale’s LAFC reveal.
At one point, the group broke into a chant of “Gar-eth Ba-le” before cheering and roaring at various responses.
In other US press conference news, Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel struggled with background music leaking into the media room during his appearance ahead of the clash with Mexico’s club America at Las Vegas’ futuristic Allegiant Stadium.
Chelsea lives the high life
Chelsea’s sanctions woes appear far behind them. The blues stayed at the famed Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills during the Los Angeles leg of their US tour, where room service prices were enough to make the government weep. Two freshly baked cookies? Fourteen dollars. A citizen? That would be $30. Schnitzel and fries? Eighty-four dollars.
The club’s squad also mingled with the stars, with half hanging out with legendary US rapper Snoop Dogg while the other half took a trip to Dodger Stadium with chairman Todd Boehly.
In Las Vegas, Boston Celtics legend Kevin Garnett, a Chelsea supporter, received a jersey from fellow American Christian Pulisic.
Ronaldo trains alongside Blades
player of Sheffield United were surprised to see a man training alone on the pitch next to them during their training camp at St George’s Park in Lisbon.
The man in question turned out to be none other than Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo. Perhaps unsurprisingly, no one from the Blades asked him if he was interested in kicker.
UK Athletics jinx it
UK Athletics kicked off their World Cup campaign on Twitter with the half-baked hashtag “#whereitstarts”.
It started with the men’s mixed relay and high jump competitors falling out on opening morning. “This is where it ends” might have been more appropriate.
Vaughan on big money
No wonder Michael Vaughan was reluctant to step down from the BBC amid the ECB’s inquiry into allegations of historic racism in Yorkshire.
The channel’s latest figures show the former England captain was paid at least £225,000 for his work in 2021-22, up from £175,000 last year.
