The International Football Association Board (IFAB), the governing body responsible for setting the laws of football, has unveiled the introduction of Blue cards for players who display cynical behavior.
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This groundbreaking announcement was made by IFAB on Friday, February 9, 2024. According to IFAB, the introduction of the Blue card is part of sin-bin protocols aimed at temporarily removing players from the field for 10 minutes if they commit cynical fouls or show dissent towards match officials.
The Football Association of Wales is poised to be the first association to implement the Blue card, planning its introduction in grassroots competitions this season. This marks the first introduction of a new color card since the 1970 World Cup.
How does the Blue card function?
The Blue card will be issued to players who impede a promising attack in addition to displaying dissent. Furthermore, players will receive a red card if they accumulate two Blue cards during a match or a combination of Yellow and Blue cards.
These Blue cards will be part of a trial involving sin bins, aimed at providing greater protection to referees. They could potentially be tested by the Football Association (FA) in the upcoming men’s and women’s FA Cups.
However, competitions such as UEFA will be excluded from initial testing in the professional game to allow for further refinement of the protocols. Nonetheless, elite trials could commence as early as the summer.
