FIFA respond to new ‘blue card rule’ that gives referees power to punish mouthy players and cynical fouls but has split opinion

FIFA has responded to proposals to hand referees blue cards in a move that would allow match officials to sin-bin mouthy players.

Current rules allow referees to hand out a yellow card as a warning, with two yellow cards equating to a red card, sending the player off.

However, the International Football Association Board will now partake in sin-bin trials, with a blue card resulting in a player being removed from play for ten minutes.

This punishment would come into effect if a player was to commit a cynical foul or show dissent towards a match official.

Similar to a yellow card, the new rules would see two blue cards equal a red card, with a combination of a blue and a yellow card also seeing a player sent off.

However, FIFA has since poured cold water on any chance of seeing blue cards at a high level in football, with only trial periods being strictly allowed.

In a statement read: «FIFA wishes to clarify that reports of the so-called 'blue card' at elite levels of football are incorrect and premature.

»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 1 March."

Trials of the new punishment could begin as early as this summer, with FA Cup and Women's FA Cup matches a potential platform for blue cards to be used.

Top-tier competitions, including the Premier League and WSL, will be excluded from initial testing.

As you'd expect, supporters had some pretty strong views on the rule change.

YouTuber and talkSPORT host Mark Goldbridge posted on X: «Blue card to be trialled in between yellow and red card in football. God help us.

»They can't even get their heads around what's a yellow and