Reason why sin bins for blue cards could be much LONGER than 10 minutes after backlash over controversial measures
SIN BINS for blue cards could last longer than ten minutes – thanks to stoppage time.
Fifa is set to trial blue cards which will punish players by sending them to the bench for ten minutes.
But it is understood that any players sanctioned with a sin bin in the final 10 minutes of a half will not be allowed to return to the field of play until the conclusion of that period, even if there is an extensive amount of stoppage time.
If implemented at the top level, blue cards will be the first major disciplinary change since the introduction of yellow and red cards back in 1970.
There has been backlash to the proposed changes from fans and pundits, but lawmakers on the International FA Board will confirm the green light for global trials of two different sin bin schemes next month.
But whether referees will carry blue cards and the precise details of how the idea will work is still to be agreed.
The Ifab annual general meeting, attended by Fifa President Gianni Infantino, will approve allowing trials at professional level.
One will see sin bins for excessive dissent towards officials.
The other will mean 10 minutes in pitch-side sin bins for what are deemed as cynical “anti-football actions” when players prevent a counter-attack by stopping an opponent with no attempt to play the ball and dissent.
Ifab, though, changed its mind about publishing the full details of the sin bin scheme as well as the proposed “cooling off periods” which will allow referees to halt a game and physically separate players if tempers spill over between them.
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That is now not expected to happen before the March 2 gathering at Loch Lomond.
It has been confirmed that no trials will take place at “elite” levels of the game, with the FA considering using the semi-pro level as guinea pigs.