Villa’s Multiball Ban: A Premier League Punishment That Makes No Sense
Today’s Premier League’s punishment for Aston Villa has to rank up there as one of the strangest. In an effort to clamp down on alleged time-wasting, Villa have not only been hit with a £125,000 fine but will be banned from using the multiball system for their first three home games of the 2025/26 season.
That’s right – the system that was introduced to reduce time-wasting is being taken away from Villa as a penalty. If you’re scratching your head, you’re not alone.
The Sanction Agreement – The Facts
The official Premier League sanction document reveals five separate breaches of Rule L.35 (which covers the correct use of the multiball system) last season. Some of the below infringements, at least on face value, also seem to have been made with the aim of reducing wasted time.
- Villa vs Manchester United – 6 Oct 2024 – Ball assistants handed replacement balls directly to Villa players before throw-ins and corners (not allowed under the rules) and were positioned with extra balls behind the goal Villa were attacking. Fine: £10,000.
- Villa vs Bournemouth – 26 Oct 2024 – Each ball assistant was spoken to during the match over conduct issues, with new guidance reissued internally afterwards. Fine: £50,000 (£25,000 suspended).
- Villa vs Crystal Palace – 23 Nov 2024 – Ball assistants improved behaviour after previous warnings but breaches still occurred. Fine: £50,000 (suspended).
- Villa vs Brentford – 4 Dec 2024 – No club observations provided. Fine: £70,000.
- Villa vs Tottenham – 16 May 2025 – No club observations provided. This was deemed an intentional breach – with ball assistants “acting deliberately and under instruction” – in a high-stakes match where Villa were chasing Champions League qualification.
The Agreed Sanctions
Under the settlement, Villa must:
- Pay £125,000 within 14 days.
- Not operate the multiball system for the first three home league games (Newcastle, Crystal Palace, Fulham).
- Review and amend procedures to prevent further breaches.
Questions That Need Answering
If the club had been confronted about early missteps in October and November – and guidance was reissued – why on earth were these not fully rectified? How does it get to the point where, in May, the same issues happen again?
This fine feels wholly avoidable, especially in the context of Villa’s recent €11m UEFA penalty for breaching the squad cost ratio. We’re in a climate where fans are being gaslighted into paying higher prices – supposedly to fund better players and stay on the right side of PSR – yet, the reality is, here we are with another fine that revenue from ticket price rises is being absorbed into.
The Bigger Picture
When are the real rule-breakers in the Premier League going to be brought to justice? You know, like the club with 115 charges hanging over them. Or are their legal teams simply too well-resourced for the League to deal with, so instead they take easy wins over clubs whose infractions involve ball boys and corner flag etiquette?
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Missed Chance to Challenge Logic
Frustratingly, MOMS met with the match officials body, PGMO (formerly PGMOL) the night before this punishment was announced. The meeting’s focus was on the new rules that were coming into play in the 2025/26 season to further help reduce time-wasting. If the meeting had been a day later, MOMS would have certainly have pressed them to explain the logic in banning a system designed to speed up the game as a punishment. Right now, it just reads as a technicality-driven sanction that benefits nobody.
The irony? For three home games, Villa fans might just see more time-wasting than ever before.
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