NPFL issues stern warnings to coaches, players, ball boys, over unprofessional conduct

Posted : 23 November 2023

The management of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) issued stern warnings on Thursday to clubs in the elite league, urging them to refrain from acts that may bring the game into disrepute.

The NPFL management also advised the participating clubs' management in the league to curb the excesses of their coaches, players, and ball boys during matches.

In a memo to the clubs titled "Regulating MatchDay Conduct of Coaches, Players, and Ball Boys," Davidson Owumi, the Chief Operating Officer, reminded the clubs that relevant provisions of the NPFL Framework and Rules would be invoked to ensure that no individual or group demeans the public perception of the league.

The memo aimed to alert the leadership of all clubs to inappropriate conduct tarnishing the league and bringing the game into disrepute.

The memo drew attention to the dress code of coaches, some of whom the league categorized as "appearing for matches in inappropriate apparels that portray the entire league in a bad light." It warned that henceforth, such coaches would be charged based on relevant provisions of the rules.

The NPFL appealed to the leadership of the clubs to take an interest in the dress codes of their coaches, especially now that the games are televised. It emphasized the importance of intentional packaging in football broadcast, from the arrival of teams to the dressing rooms, the field, the bench, and actual play, to make the league attractive to viewers and fans.

The memo addressed the issue of players simulating injuries to hold up matches and run down the clock, thereby denying paying fans full value for money and time. Owumi observed that such disruptions rob the league games of entertainment spectacle and discourage fans who have paid money and spent time to watch games.

The NPFL CEO urged clubs to encourage their coaches to adopt fair means of achieving results. The memo also frowned upon the practice of hiding match balls by Ball Boys of home teams to gain undue advantage through time-wasting when the ball is out of play.

The NPFL has mandated Match Commissioners and Independent Secret Assessors to eradicate the disappearance act of Ball Boys with balls to the advantage of home teams. Match Commissioners are now at liberty to ask the Referee to add every minute wasted by this disreputable conduct, and the NPFL warned that it would not hesitate to impose appropriate sanctions on offending clubs.

NPFL issues stern warnings to coaches, players, ball boys, over unprofessional conduct

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