Time Wasting - A new way.

Spain suffering from new delay tactic

Spanish football is being hit by a new wave unsportsmanlike behaviour as a trend of throwing extra balls onto the field to halt the play continues.

While there has been a growing number of balls appearing on the pitch during La Liga games this season - with Real Madrid's trip to Osasuna and Zaragoza's win over Getafe attracting attention - the most brazen use of the tactic as yet came on Sunday when video replays showed a ball boy deliberately tossing another ball onto the field as Villarreal tried to salvage a point in their eventual 3-2 defeat to Sevilla.

"Futbol is played with one ball... some people should learn before coming to stadiums and ruining a nice, exciting game," Villarreal striker Giuseppe Rossi wrote on Twitter after the game.

Match official Alberto Undiano Mallenco even made mention of the extra balls in his match report, but with the Spanish football federation's disciplinary committee already fining clubs a paltry €600 this season, a similar penalty is unlikely to make much of a difference.

"We should look at altering the regulations," federation spokesman Jorge Carretero told The Associated Press. "The rules need to generate fines that are relative to the penalty. The problem with the current regulations is that they say a higher sanction can only be applied if the penalty is of a violent nature.

"[However] If it doesn't break the law according to statutes, then the committee can't really do much.''

Villarreal goalkeeper Diego Lopez pushed aside a ball boy who he thought was trying to waste time.

"It's something you shouldn't expect to see at the stadium. In those moments when you're losing and they do these types of things you feel ready to act out stupidly, but you have to control yourself," Lopez said. "What can you do? It's shameful. It's a question of sportsmanship."

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/912065/spain-suffering-from-extra-ball-delay-tactic?cc=3888

, I never thought of that!!

Spain suffering from new delay tactic

Spanish football is being hit by a new wave unsportsmanlike behaviour as a trend of throwing extra balls onto the field to halt the play continues.

While there has been a growing number of balls appearing on the pitch during La Liga games this season - with Real Madrid's trip to Osasuna and Zaragoza's win over Getafe attracting attention - the most brazen use of the tactic as yet came on Sunday when video replays showed a ball boy deliberately tossing another ball onto the field as Villarreal tried to salvage a point in their eventual 3-2 defeat to Sevilla.

"Futbol is played with one ball... some people should learn before coming to stadiums and ruining a nice, exciting game," Villarreal striker Giuseppe Rossi wrote on Twitter after the game.

Match official Alberto Undiano Mallenco even made mention of the extra balls in his match report, but with the Spanish football federation's disciplinary committee already fining clubs a paltry €600 this season, a similar penalty is unlikely to make much of a difference.

"We should look at altering the regulations," federation spokesman Jorge Carretero told The Associated Press. "The rules need to generate fines that are relative to the penalty. The problem with the current regulations is that they say a higher sanction can only be applied if the penalty is of a violent nature.

"[However] If it doesn't break the law according to statutes, then the committee can't really do much.''

Villarreal goalkeeper Diego Lopez pushed aside a ball boy who he thought was trying to waste time.

"It's something you shouldn't expect to see at the stadium. In those moments when you're losing and they do these types of things you feel ready to act out stupidly, but you have to control yourself," Lopez said. "What can you do? It's shameful. It's a question of sportsmanship."

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/912065/spain-suffering-from-extra-ball-delay-tactic?cc=3888

, I never thought of that!!

Bruce Grobbelaar used to tell fans to hold onto the ball when we wanted to waste time.

I remember him bollocking a fan in the Kemlyn for throwing a ball on to the pitch too quickly when we were playing Wimbledon back in 93.

Now this one is easily solved, I'm not a fan of goal line technology etc, but timekeeping should be out of the refs hand. Stick an bloke in a locked room with a screen and 3 buttons, one that starts the clock, one that stops it and one that sounds a hooter.

Reminds me of Everton's tricks last season.
The home side can choose a multi-ball or single ball system.
Multi-ball = ball goes into crowd, another ball is introduced to keep play flowing.
Single ball = ball goes into crowd, play stops until it's returned.
Everton abused this by playing multi-ball until they took a lead then switching to single ball (gathering spare balls into bags) to waste time.

Bruce Grobbelaar used to tell fans to hold onto the ball when we wanted to waste time.

I remember him bollocking a fan in the Kemlyn for throwing a ball on to the pitch too quickly when we were playing Wimbledon back in 93.

Bruce was such an eccentric keeper, something not so usual in England, more like a South American keeper.

What went on between Real and Barca tonight was terrible. If it went on in the premiership we would be hauled over the coals. Uefa have to show balls but then again have they ever.

Bruce was such an eccentric keeper, something not so usual in England, more like a South American keeper.

Read a book once about Bruce, some of it was to do with him simply enjoying the game, especially after what he had saw when he was a soldier in the Rhodesian conflict.

Now this one is easily solved, I'm not a fan of goal line technology etc, but timekeeping should be out of the refs hand. Stick an bloke in a locked room with a screen and 3 buttons, one that starts the clock, one that stops it and one that sounds a hooter.

I think there is a problem with this. American sports operate like this and a game that is supposed to last an hour often goes OVER 2 HOURS!

OK for fans in the stadium but not sure the TV companies in many countries would tolerate their schedules being messed up that badly.

It's always gone on.

Why should we condemn it now, when we have won titles and cups by doing the same thing.

If we are 5 mins from winning the league next season, would you applaud or castigate a player who wasted a bit of time?

Bruce was such an eccentric keeper, something not so usual in England, more like a South American keeper.

Well, only in the sense that he had some quirks but don't let that fool you....he was absolutely a world class keeper and only Clemence (and maybe Pepe, time will tell) can claim to be a better LFC keeper than Brucie and, even there, some might put Grobs ahead.

Well, only in the sense that he had some quirks but don't let that fool you....he was absolutely a world class keeper and only Clemence (and maybe Pepe, time will tell) can claim to be a better LFC keeper than Brucie and, even there, some might put Grobs ahead.

Yeah mate, when I said eccentric I never meant bad, was only talking about his character (which I really like btw )