The International Football Association Board (IFAB) has approved the introduction of a blue card in professional football, marking a significant change in officiating rules. According to a report from The Telegraph, players will be shown a blue card and sent to the sin-bin for ten minutes if they display dissent towards officials or commit cynical fouls. While initial testing may not include top-tier competitions, trials could commence as soon as this summer, with considerations for the FA Cup and Women’s FA Cup in the upcoming season.
The blue card will be utilized in cases where a player obstructs a dangerous attack or engages in dissent. If a player accumulates two blue cards in a match, or a combination of a blue card and a yellow card, they will be sent off. For example, Giorgio Chiellini’s foul on Bukayo Saka during the Euro 2020 final would warrant him facing ten minutes in the sin-bin under these new measures. However, UEFA’s president, Aleksander Ceferin, has confirmed that sin-bins will not be introduced in this summer’s European Championship or next season’s Champions League.
The concept of sin-bins has already seen successful trials in amateur and youth football in England and Wales and will now be implemented in the senior game. Additionally, a white card has been utilized in Portugal as part of the National Plan for Ethics in Sport to encourage fair play. This was demonstrated in various instances, such as a player kicking the ball out of play instead of taking advantage of an injured opposition defender in the fifth division, and medical staff receiving a white card after treating a fan who had fainted in the stands during a women’s match between Sporting Lisbon and Benfica.
Through the introduction of the blue card and the sin-bin, football is taking steps to address dissent and cynical fouls, aiming to promote fair play and enhance the overall experience of the game.
