Blue Cards to be instituted for football sin-bin trials

The International Football Association Board (IFAB) is set to introduce a new blue card on Friday as part of trials of sin bins in professional football. 

The lawmakers of Football announced in November measures to keep the player behaviour in check. For increased respect for match officials, the lawmakers have come up with  temporary dismissals for dissent and particular match offences. 

Sin bins have already been a hit implementation in low levels of football since 2019/20, with players asked to walt out the field for 10 minutes if they show any form of disrespect to an official. 

The latest trial for higher-level football which is said to last for a minimum of 12 months, will involve situations where a player deliberately taking an opposition player down in an attacking situation will straightaway receive a sending off (red card). 

One prime example of such an incident was Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini dragging back England’s Bukayo Saka by the scruff of his neck in the final of Euro 2020 . 

Grassroots football positioned in England that has a specific problem with referee abuse from players, has been using the yellow card to indicate the offence across 31 leagues since the 2019/20 season. The IFAB desired a different colour to be recognisably different to players, coaches and fans, and has opted for blue. 

Fans won’t be pleased seeing the blue card in top flight competitions like the Premier League, LaLiga, UEFA Champions League, Euro 2024 or the Copa America, however, the trial during the whole next season won’t be sanctioned at the very top level, and 2026/27 would be the earliest before it could officially enter the ‘Laws of the Game’   

Indeed, there have been numerous trials in lower leagues in recent years with the intention of fighting dissent, such as moving a free kick forward by 10 yards, which have failed to make it into the Laws. 

According to sources there is limited support for sin bins among the top leagues, and the Football Association will not be employing it in competitions such as Women’s Super League and the FA Cup. 

"FIFA wishes to clarify that reports of the so-called 'blue card' at elite levels of football are incorrect and premature," the sport's governing body mentioned in a statement following Thursday's reports.

"Any such trials, if implemented, should be limited to testing in a responsible manner at lower levels, a position that FIFA intends to reiterate when this agenda item is discussed at the IFAB AGM on 1 March."