Blue cards and sin bin trials set for further discussion by football’s lawmakers

Football's rule-makers are set to have more talks about the possible introduction of blue cards and sin bins.

The International Football Association Board (IFAB) had planned to publish new rules on February 9, which would see players sent off for 10 minutes for offences like arguing with the ref or tactical fouls. But they decided not to go ahead with this after stories about blue cards appeared in the media the day before, causing an immediate backlash.

FIFA said these reports were "incorrect and premature". They added that any trials of blue cards should only happen at lower levels of the game. Sin bins have already been used successfully in grassroots and youth football. The idea behind the new rules was to test them at higher levels, except for top national team matches and the highest domestic league in any country where a team could qualify for a continental competition, such as the Premier League.

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The idea had been that the protocols could be introduced to the very top level once refined. All players on the pitch, including goalkeepers, could be sent to the sin bin under the original protocol, PA understands, but substitutes and coaching staff could not be.

For example, the cynical shirt pull performed by Italy's Giorgio Chiellini on England's Bukayo Saka in the Euro 2020 final would meet the criteria for a sin bin. FIFA's statement last month contrasted with comments from the chairman of its referees committee Pierluigi Collina at the IFAB annual business meeting last November.

Collina said back then: "The trial was very