BBC Newsbeat
PA MediaWith its celebrity managers, high-tempo matches and slick production, Baller League could bridge the gap between sport and entertainment one player says – even if some of the new rules are “nonsense”.
The new six-a-side tournament, fronted by YouTuber KSI, is shaking up the game with 15-minute halves, a 3 vs 3 format in the closing minutes and no corner kicks.
It’s that last rule ex-Liverpool winger Jordon Ibe, who’s now up front for John Terry’s 26ers side, grapples with the most, saying corners should be left “as God intended”.
In these games, if the ball goes behind off the opposition three times, a penalty is awarded to the attacking team.
But while the shift from the Premier League takes some getting used to, Ibe tells BBC Newsbeat he’s impressed with the new format which can “100%” bring sport and entertainment closer together.
“It grabs the eye more,” he says after Monday’s leg of the tournament at Copper Box Arena, London, which saw his side draw 3-3 against streetwear icon Clint’s FC RTW.
“People might not be into sports period, but they might come to this because they’ll think a 90-minute game is a bit too long.
“This has got the challenges in the game and it’s only 30 minutes so people get invested in it.”
‘It gives me my purpose back’
Baller League, which started in Germany in 2023 before expanding to the UK this year, sees a mix of former pros, released academy players, free agents and influencers competing on smaller indoor pitches.
The 12 teams also have some pretty well-known managers including rapper Dave, YouTuber Angry Ginge and England legend Gary Lineker.
YouTuber Chunkz also hosts a weekly show where celebrities and other stars from the world of football drop in.
More than 650k viewers streamed Monday’s games on Twitch.
In comparison, the Premier League says almost 36m people watched live matches in the 2023-2024 season – about 60% of of the total UK TV audience.
Blending sport and entertainment is what makes Baller League unique, Ibe says, adding he thinks the two “come as one now”.
“Maybe in a few years you might see an influencer in the Premier League.”
Getty ImagesPlaying against Ibe’s 26ers side last night was former Manchester United midfielder Josh Harrop, who signed for FC RTW.
The 29-year-old scored during his Old Trafford debut in 2017 – his only appearance for the club.
Since then, he has spent a lot of time off the pitch due to injuries.
After leaving Northampton at the end of last season, he became a free agent until making a deal with Cheltenham Town in January.
As well as entertainment value for fans, he says Baller League provides professional players like himself with a second chance.
“I’ve been a free agent for six months,” he tells Newsbeat.
“When you’re a footballer and you get that taken away, you lose part of yourself.
“Now, every Monday I’ve got a game, I’ve got something to train for, something to put my mind to.
“It gives me my purpose back.”
PA MediaHarrop was at the centre of an on-pitch brawl on Monday after a tackle against former Tottenham youth player Sak Hassan, which saw him sent off for two minutes.
“I put in a bad tackle and the next minute everyone’s on the pitch going crazy,” he tells Newsbeat.
Baller League’s rules are “hard to adjust to” when you’re used to playing 11-a-side, Harrop says, adding he “didn’t know what was going on” when he was handed the suspension.
“Each week everyone’s getting used to everything,” he says.
“There’s so many different game changers and they’re so different to anything in football I’ve ever done before.”
Currently at the top of Baller League’s table it’s a three-way tie between Angry Ginge’s Yanited side, Lineker’s Deportrio which he manages with fellow MOTD pundits Alan Shearer and Micah Richards, and MVPS United, fronted by Juventus forward Alisha Lehmann alongside presenter Maya Jama.
There are matches every Monday until mid-June, when the top four teams go through to play-offs with two semi-finals and a final after that to decide a champion.
