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By Sab Osuji

Organisers of the domestic top flight, Nigeria Professional Football League, NPFL, has read the riot act to ball boys as regards time wasting Antics during games.

The Ball Boys are understood to always hide the reserve balls during games especially when the home team is on the driving seat, thus, winding down the clock.

But the league body has now moved to stamp out this untoward and unsporting attitude, dangling heavy sanctions on clubs that henceforth fails to carry out a reorientation of their Ball Boys to put a stop to the practice.

In a memo to the clubs, Davidson Owumi, the Chief Operating Officer, CEO, of the NPFL, said the attention of the league body has been drawn to the co-option of young boys into bad football practice.

"The unscrupulous and undisciplined behavior of ball boys on match days has come to attention", the memo by Owumi began.

"The continuous attitude of ball boys in hiding match balls when the game is still on and mostly in favour of the home team shall no more be tolerated". 

The memo reminded the clubs hierarchies that at no time during a match should there be less than ten (10) match balls available to the teams.

"Note that at every point in time during an NPFL match, a minimum of not less than ten match balls should be available for use at all times", the memo continued.

Owumi, in the memo warned that the practice constitutes misconduct under Rule C1.1 of the NPFL Framework and Rules, a breach of which leads to appropriate sanctions against erring clubs 

"We urge you to take immediate steps to rectify this situation by carrying out orientation sessions for the Ball Boys to ensure that they understand and adhere to the rules.

"Failure to do so may result in penalties, including fines and points deductions as outlined in Rule C18 of the NPFL Framework and Rules", the memo concluded.