The Nigerian Premier Football League, NPFL, has cautioned clubs to desist from unsporting conduct of time wasting during matches in the top tier division.
The NPFL sent a circular to all 20 teams in the league describing that deliberate holding of match balls by ball boys and all other forms of delay of game flow in matches is a serious breach of fair play and league regulation which is tantamount to N1 million fine.
In the circular signed by the league’s Chief Operating Officer, Davidson Owumi, the football body expressed concerns over the prohibited act put up by the teams to ensure wins during home games.
”The continuous attitude of ball boys hiding match balls when the game is still on, and probably in favour of the home team, constitutes an act of unfairness and a breach of the frameworks and rules of the NPFL,” the circular reads in part.
”Any team found wanting and encouraging such an attitude will be sanctioned with a fine of One Million Naira, as such behaviour is contrary to fair play and brings the game into disrepute,” it continues.
To curb the anomaly, the league board directed the teams to ensure to make 10 balls available at all matches, noting that the proclaimed sanction on any erring team is in line with the stipulations of Section C of the league’s rulebook.
The NPFL reaffirmed it’s commitment to ceaselessly preserve the integrity and credibility of the league, while also enjoining the all state football associations to inculcate in their clubs the necessity of keeping to the guidelines and also enforce strict oversight in order to ensure their teams do not violate the ruling
