The EFL has announced new regulations ahead of the 2023/24 campaign with a multiball system among the initiatives being introduced.

Alongside changes to the Owners and Directors’ Test and amendments to financial rules, the multiball system will be reintroduced, however, with towels no longer allowed.

A statement reads: “The EFL will introduce a multiball system in all its competitions for the 2023/24 season.

“Match balls will be placed on cones in designated areas at pitch side to help increase the time of the ball being in play.

“Meanwhile, clubs will no longer be permitted to use towels or other articles, including items obtained from spectators, to dry footballs during matches.”

January signing Harry Clarke’s long throws became a feature of the Blues’ play in the second half of the season and the change could well benefit the former Arsenal man.

The new regulations can be found in full here, the EFL having held its AGM over the last couple of days.

Town CEO Mark Ashton represented the Blues and was asked to talk about the Ipswich Town Foundation model and its role in the club’s recent growth.

Photo: Matchday Images

Wallingford_Boy added 16:34 - Jun 8 How does Clarke no longer being able to dry the ball for a long throw benefit him?
1

Umros added 16:40 - Jun 8 Aside from this maybe being inconvenient to HC, personally I welcome it, Just a sly way of trying to gain advantage, play the conditions, should have been banned long ago.
4

tractorboybig added 16:43 - Jun 8 sounds like a comedians convention
1

rgp1 added 17:02 - Jun 8 That's Tozer stuffed then!
0

RobITFC added 17:34 - Jun 8 Until a player gets injured falling onto one of the cones!
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BlueandTruesince82 added 17:44 - Jun 8 Be some high scoring games with multiple balls on the pitch
8

PhillyTractorBoy added 17:54 - Jun 8 I imagine the argument that it helps is that you can recycle the ball quicker and potentially benefit from a quick long throw in.
0

Fat_Boy_Tim added 17:57 - Jun 8 End of those chuffing time wasting towels, thank god!
4

carsey added 18:16 - Jun 8 Frankly there are bigger issues that could/should have been dealt with than towels to dry the ball. Players rolling about on the floor or getting cramp then by some miracle being able to carry on? It should be automatic yellow cards for these clowns. Same with time wasting by the keeper over goal kicks and holding on to the ball for more than 10 seconds. Instant yellow card early on will set the right tone.

10

Help added 21:16 - Jun 8 He can still dry the ball on his shirt, especially if Umbro add on inner dry lining for such purposes as that is not against the current rules
1

Nigeglos added 21:39 - Jun 8 How about a simple rule change to stop time wasting If it is not your team's goal kick, throw in, free kick, the other teams players cannot touch the ball unless the opinion of the referee they are helping to speed up the taking of the kick. Yellow card offence if they touch the ball unnecessarily. Simple, easy to police and will stop players cheating
5

Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 05:58 - Jun 9 carsey: Couldn't agree more!
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BotesdaleBlue added 07:46 - Jun 9 Just a small relatively inconsequential point, but when multiball is in use, any player scoring a hat trick would not be able to take away "the" match ball, as there may well have been half a dozen balls plus in play during the game, none of which we used in the hat trick.
0

Orraman added 10:56 - Jun 9 A welcome change to the current time wasting epidemic but as @Carsey above, merely a drop in the ocean. The fake injuries and cramp are so infuriating and you can guarantee that if a team is under sustained pressure their goalkeeper will sustain a minor injury allowing them to regroup following a short rush to the bench for a tactics briefing. We see so often now players rolling around in ‘agony' who, once they realise the game is continuing make a miraculous recovery. Referees are substantially to blame for much of the time wasting as early intervention with a yellow card or two would cut a lot of it out but to expect a referee to show some ‘cojones' is like asking them to walk on water.

3

PortmanTerrorist added 12:21 - Jun 9 Anyone considered that we might be the ones who want to time waste next season ?! Me neither ! lol
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blues1 added 13:26 - Jun 9 Omg. Fans gave been moaning about the amount of timewasting in games. The efl bring in something to help stop some of it and then get criticised? Yes, other things also need to be done, mainly, referees told to prevent it happening, mainly by booking players earlier. But why the criticism of these steps. Robitfc multihull has been used elsewhere. No1,has ever hurt themselves falling g over a cone.

2

Pilgrimblue added 15:45 - Jun 9 Good decisions esp towel ban as that was being used to slow down games
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DaGremloid added 12:52 - Jun 10 With all the play-acting, cheating, diving, trying to get fellow professionals yellow or red-carded, goalkeepers falling to the ground like they've been shot after making a simple catch, etc etc, and they're worried about effing towels???
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