The International Football Association Board (IFAB) will introduce a new blue card on Friday as part of professional football’s sin bin trials, according to sources.
Two blue cards will be similar to a red card and suspension from the next match
The primary goal of this new disciplinary measure is to reduce or limit the number of protests and complaints that referees receive during a match. Thus, this new blue card could be used to expel players and coaching staff for 10 minutes from the field, putting their team at a disadvantage for a set period.
This card may have the following consequences: two blue cards equal a red card and suspension from the next match. Similarly, receiving a yellow or blue card will result in the same punishment (a red card and suspension from the following match).
Likewise, Lukas Brud, an IFAB member, stated that they are working to make this new rule a reality. They are also working on other rules, such as allowing only the team captain to communicate with the referee.
Sin bins have been successfully implemented in lower-level football since 2019–20
Football lawmakers announced measures in November to improve player behavior and increase respect for match officials, including temporary suspensions for dissent and specific tactical offenses.
Sin bins have been successfully implemented in lower-level football since 2019–20, with players ordered to leave the field for 10 minutes if they disrespect an official.
The new trial for higher-level football, which is expected to last at least a year, will include incidents in which a player intentionally takes out an opponent in an attacking situation when a red card is not warranted.
One such example was Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini dragging England’s Bukayo Saka by the scruff of his neck in the Euro 2020 final.
Fans will not see the blue card in top-tier competitions
Since the 2019-20 season, grassroots football in England, which has a particular problem with player abuse of referees, has used the yellow card to indicate the offense in 31 leagues. The IFAB wanted a different color to distinguish players, coaches, and supporters, so they chose blue.
Fans will not see the blue card in top-tier competitions such as the Premier League, La Liga, the UEFA Champions League, Euro 2024, or the Copa America, however. The trial will not be permitted at the highest level during the next season, and it will not be included in the Laws of the Game until at least 2026–27.
Indeed, there have been various trials in lower leagues in recent years to combat dissent, such as moving a free kick forward 10 yards, which have not been incorporated into the laws.
According to ESPN, there is little support for sin bins in the top leagues, and the Football Association will not test them in competitions like the Women’s Super League or 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 said in a statement issued after 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 March 1.”