Football's rulemakers set to introduce blue cards for sin bins

Football's rulemakers set to introduce blue cards for sin bins

Senior levels of football could see a sin bin brought into play that would dismiss a player for 10 minutes for dissent or tactical fouling. It could be trialled in the FA Cup.

Sin bins could be introduced in professional football if plans by the sport's rulemakers get the go-ahead.

The International Football Association Board (IFAB) will publish the detailed protocols for the trials on Friday, Sky News understands, with the new ruling expected to include blue cards.

In the trials, blue cards will give referees the power to send players off for 10 minutes for dissent or cynical fouls.

Two blue cards would result in a player's dismissal for the rest of the match, as would a blue and a yellow card.

The IFAB is set to give the go-ahead for the extended sin bin trial in senior levels of the game at its annual meeting on 2 March in Glasgow.

There have already been trials in amateur and youth football in both England and Wales and the sport's lawmaking body agreed in November last year that they should be implemented at higher levels of football.

Board members had also supported a proposed trial where only the team captain may approach the referee in certain major game situations.

The chief executive of the Football Association, Mark Bullingham, who is also a board member, said at the time the areas they are looking at are dissent and tactical fouls, among others.

The trial has worked "very, very well" regarding dissent in the grassroots game, he said.