Premier League to Ban Towels for Drying the Ball
Listen to the story
The Premier League is introducing new rules for the 2026/27 season to reduce time-wasting and stop teams from using wax on the ball. One of the new rules bans the use of towels to dry the ball during matches. This has caused concern at Arsenal, a club that has often used towels to keep the ball dry in wet weather. A club official reacted to the news with a joke, suggesting that players might need to wear a hat during rainy matches instead of using towels. The comment was widely shared by fans and journalists on social media. The Premier League says the new rules are part of a wider effort to make matches faster and reduce delays caused by players slowing down the game. Time-wasting has become a common complaint among fans, especially when teams try to protect a lead late in a match. The wax ban is also linked to concerns about players gaining an unfair advantage when taking free kicks or corners. Clubs across England are now discussing how the changes will affect their usual match-day routines. Some managers support the new rules, believing they will make football more exciting to watch. Others, like Arsenal, worry about the practical side, especially during England's rainy season. The Premier League has not given further details about how the rules will be enforced during matches.
Vocabulary10 words
- Premier League
- the top football league in England
- time-wasting
- playing slowly on purpose to protect a result
- wax
- a soft substance used to make a surface smooth or dry
- towels
- cloths used to dry something, like a wet ball
- Arsenal
- a football club based in London
- official
- a person who works for an organization
- advantage
- a benefit that helps someone win
- enforced
- made sure a rule is followed
- routines
- the usual way something is done
- delays
- times when something is stopped or slowed down
Quiz
Answer key
1. Using towels to dry the ball 2. The club often uses towels in wet weather 3. To reduce time-wasting in matches
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
The Premier League is introducing new _____ for the 2026/27 season to reduce _____ and stop teams from using _____ on the ball. One of the new rules bans the use of _____ to dry the ball during matches. This has caused concern at _____, a club that has often used towels to keep the ball dry in wet weather. A club _____ reacted to the news with a joke, suggesting that players might need to wear a hat during rainy matches instead of using towels. The Premier League says the new rules are part of a wider effort to make matches faster and reduce _____ caused by players slowing down the game. The wax ban is also linked to concerns about players gaining an unfair _____ when taking free kicks or corners. The Premier League has not given further details about how the rules will be _____ during matches.
Discussion questions
- Do you think banning towels will really reduce time-wasting in football?
- Why might rules like this be controversial among clubs?
- Have you seen examples of time-wasting in sports you watch?
- Do you think small rule changes like this can make a big difference to a game?