Sin-bins and blue cards: Ifab will not widen out trial beyond grassroots level

Football lawmakers Ifab will not be widening out a trial of sin-binning players and issuing blue cards but instead plans to test new rules to improve player behaviour.

The ideas had already faced criticism by Premier League managers.

Ifab said it was improving the guidelines at grassroots level.

Blue cards and sin-bins have been experimented with in small-sided football but there appears to be little prospect of them transferring to the professional game in the near future.

“Any potential wider application will only be considered once the impact of these changes have been reviewed,” Ifab said in a statement following its annual general meeting in Loch Lomond, Scotland on Saturday.

Under the plans for temporary dismissals, players would get blue cards for dissent and tactical fouls and spend 10 minutes off the pitch.

Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou said this would “destroy the game”, while Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp and Newcastle’s Eddie Howe were critical.

On Friday, FIFA president Infantino said: “This is a topic that is non-existent for us.”

Instead, Ifab did announce three trials to improve player behaviour in domestic competitions below the top two tiers – which would be at League One and below in England.

They are:

• Only a team’s captain being able to approach the referee in certain situations.
• The introduction of cooling-off periods to allow the referee to require teams to go to their own penalty area.
• Increasing the time limit for goalkeepers holding the ball from six to eight seconds, otherwise possession will revert to the opposing team.