Football Lawmakers To Introduce Trials For 10-Minute Sin Bins With Blue Cards

The International Football Association Board (IFAB) is poised to unveil comprehensive protocols for sin-bin trials in professional football this Friday. These trials are expected to incorporate the introduction of blue cards, granting referees the authority to temporarily send players off for 10 minutes in cases of dissent or cynical fouls. 

A player accumulating two blue cards or receiving a blue and a yellow card will face dismissal for the remainder of the match. IFAB is slated to approve the extension of sin-bin trials at senior levels during its annual meeting in March.

Trials have already been conducted in amateur and youth football in England and Wales, with IFAB endorsing their implementation at higher echelons of the sport following agreement last November. Additionally, there is contemplation within The Football Association to trial sin bins in both the FA Cup and Women's FA Cup in the upcoming season.

However, sin bins will not feature in the upcoming European Championship in Germany or in the subsequent UEFA Champions League season. UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin has vehemently opposed their introduction, deeming them incompatible with the essence of football.

During the recent IFAB meeting, an instance cited involving a blue card was Giorgio Chiellini's shirt pull on Bukayo Saka during the Euro 2020 final, which resulted in only a yellow card being issued.

The IFAB's endorsement of proposed trials, where only the team captain may approach the referee, and the testing of sin bins at a higher level last November, was reaffirmed during the Annual Business Meeting in London. These discussions will shape the agenda for the annual general meeting scheduled for March 2 in Glasgow, where potential amendments to the laws of the game will be deliberated upon.

Mark Bullingham, the chief executive of the Football Association, emphasized the focus on player behavior and dissent in the sin-bin protocol. He suggested the potential expansion of the protocol to include areas such as tactical fouls, considering the impact on the flow and integrity of the game.

Nevertheless, there are concerns about the potential repercussions of implementing sin bins, with apprehensions raised about its impact on gameplay dynamics and the possibility of encouraging negative tactics. Proponents argue that sin bins could address issues of player behavior, which have been prevalent in professional football, as evidenced by fines imposed on Premier League clubs for failing to control their players during the previous season.

Ultimately, IFAB aims to establish a working group with various stakeholders to explore and trial potential ideas, including temporary dismissals, to address concerns regarding player behavior in football. The viability of such measures at the highest levels of the sport will be a subject of ongoing discussion and deliberation in the coming years. 

Sorce: Sky Sports