Ballon d’Or: Organizers Announce Changes In Award Rules

Ballon d’Or will no longer be annual but summerly, organizers announced on Friday.

According to the French News Magazine, France Football, players’ performances would henceforth be observed during a season (August-July) and not a calendar year (January-December).

The changes means that the next edition of the individual player award will be for the 2021/22 season and not 2022, Naija News understands.

The organizers also noted in its series of changes that the upcoming World Cup will count for the 2022/23 season.

The publication, Naija News understands, contained an entity revolution compared to what has been before now.

Below is a summary of changes made by the Ballon d’Or organizers, as seen on its official website today:

Traditionally, the Ballon door award was designed to celebrate the best player of the year.

No change has taken place since inception until at this level.

The awards have been to celebrate the strongest from January to December (annually), to judge and gauge two half-seasons – January-July and August-December (sometimes accompanied by club changes in the off-season).

However, rather than one season in its entirety, the new change will see the award done per summer.

An even stronger lists would now be derived to emerge winners. Because the Ballon d’Or begins as soon as the famous lists of nominees are drawn up (thirty for men, twenty for women and ten for the Yachine and Kopa Trophies), it was decided to reinforce this essential step.

In order to present a selection of suitors as fair, indisputable and relevant as possible, have we acted to change the process which, until then, mainly involved the writing of France Football. To the lists of FF (and L’Équipe ) journalists will now be added those of BO ambassador Didier Drogba (for the men’s BO and the Yachine and Kopa Trophies) as well as that of the voter who will have shown himself the most insightful in the previous edition.

The award will now witness a more demanding voting system: Because the Ballon d’Or has gone from sixteen European jurors (1956) to one hundred and seventy (2021) spread all over the world, it can boast of an astonishing and indisputable universality.

This is what contributes to its influence and reputation. However, is the judgment ten times finer and better with ten times more jurors? Couldn’t the gigantism of the jury end up weakening it? The openness to “small” countries (those which have neither a big natural football culture nor historical legitimacy and not always easy access to images of the main competitions) did not risk from time to time parasitizing the ballot, lack of adequate knowledge or expertise?

A More clearer rules: Ballon d’Or rules have not changed much since inception and the criteria frequently give rise to debate.

Therefore, the organizers have thought it appropriate to refresh the hierarchy of the constituent elements in the vote for greater consistency and clarity, and avoid any ambiguities.

This article was originally published on Nigeria News