Part 23 - 'Second Ball'

It’s one of the most common and most popular and most overworked expressions in football. And it’s got absolutely nothing to do with inebriation or double vision. When you hear a player, coach or manager shout ‘Second ball’, they’re referring to a situation where a challenge has been made but not entirely successfully. As a result the ball runs or rebounds loose and can be contested again. At this point it becomes the so-called ‘second ball’. You won’t believe how many ‘second balls’ you can have in a game – especially a scrappy one. The curious thing is, you never hear a player, coach or manager shout ‘First ball’.