Published On 3/5/2026
Leipzig club technical director Uli Werner called for clarification of the rules governing the work of ball collecting boys. This came after the opening goal scored by Bayer Leverkusen in the match that ended with the latter’s 4-1 win yesterday, Saturday, in the German League.
The stadium boys crisis in the German League
Leverkusen’s first goal came after one of the Leverkusen ball-collecting boys acted quickly when Leipzig player Nicholas Seewald headed the ball away with his head, and then the boy threw another ball to Leverkusen goalkeeper Mark Flecken, and the latter began a quick counterattack that resulted in the lead goal through Patrik Schick.
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Werner noted that this controversial assist “gave the match a certain direction,” although the three goals scored by Cech against his former team made the loss seem completely deserved.
The German League recommended to clubs before the start of the season that ball boys stop throwing balls to players and instead place them in specific places, but since this recommendation is not an official rule from the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), its implementation is not mandatory.
Werner explained: “Basically, I am a big advocate of having a rule, and if the rule is not implemented there must be some form of punishment, otherwise it will not have much meaning.” He added: “We talked about this in the coaches’ meeting half a year ago and said that the rule must be unified, and this is desirable for the future.”
In another match in the Bundesliga yesterday, Saturday, one of the ball-collecting boys at Union Berlin showed awareness of this recommendation, even if it was at the expense of his club. The young man grabbed the ball that Josip Juranovic requested to take a quick throw-in, which made the player dazed before he was forced to take another ball that was placed on the side of the field.
