The Premier League has entered into a sanction agreement with Aston Villa FC after the club accepted it had breached the Premier League’s multiball rules.
First introduced in the 2022/23 season, the multiball system is intended to maintain the flow of League matches, reduce delays and enhance the fan experience.
Clubs are required to adopt a multiball system at every League match and adherence to the relevant rules and guidance is of vital importance to maintain consistency and, crucially, to ensure that home clubs do not gain a competitive advantage through their misuse of the system.
The accepted breach was the club’s fifth of the multiball rules during the 2024/25 season.
The club will pay a £125,000 fine and will be prohibited from operating the multiball system in its first three home League matches of the 2025/26 season.
Click here to read the sanction agreement. As required by Premier League Rules, the sanction agreement has been ratified by three members of the Independent Judicial Panel.