Plans to introduce a trial of blue cards into football are in danger of being scrapped following a backlash against the proposals, according to reports.
In February, football fans were left baffled by the news that the new card would be trialled to sin-bin players guilty of minor offences for ten minutes – with supporters claiming the new rule change would ruin the game.
An introduction of the card would be the first new card in football in more than half a century, with yellow and red cards being introduced in 1970 and running to the present day.
According to The Telegraph, directors of IFAB are not convinced such a card would be required during trials of the rugby-style disciplinary method.
Plans to introduce a trial of blue cards into football are in danger of being scrapped
Blue cards would have resulted in a ten-minute sin-bin for fouls that prevent a promising attack
The outlet further claim that members of IFAB’s board, which include the chief executives of the four home associations and FIFA, had been unaware that a blue card would form part of the protocols drawn up by the law-making body’s administration.
Their annual general meeting, which is set to take place on Saturday, will be their first opportunity to discuss a proposal designed to make it clear when a player has been sin-binned.
Last month, an official announcement had been planned, but instead the decision was put on hold, with the rule-change set to be debated at the AGM.
Mail Sport previously reported how supporters had been up in arms over the idea, with some saying the game was ‘finished’ – while pundits like Paul Merson claimed it would make football ‘boring’.
Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou, Everton’s Sean Dyche, and Crystal Palace’s Roy Hodgson are among the Premier League managers to have previously voiced their opposition to ‘blue cards’.
Further division on the concept was seen in UEFA too – with UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin declaring he would not allow a trial in the European Championship, Champions League, Europa League or Europa Conference League.
Fans and pundits raged at proposals, which detailed that a red card should be shown if a player received two blues or a combination of a blue and yellow
Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou led the revolt against the blue-card idea, last month
Plans for a blue card would see 10-minute sin-bins trialled during games — in what would be the first new card added to the professional game since yellows and reds were brought in for the 1970 World Cup.
The initiative was set to see players sent to a 10-minute sin-bin for cynical fouls and showing dissent towards officials, in a rule similar to yellow cards being shown in rugby.
Receiving a blue and a yellow, or two blues, would have the same result as two yellows, and see players sent off.
Despite the majority of fans, managers and football chiefs disagreeing with the idea, there has been some positive reception to the blue cards concept.
FIFA referees’ chief Pierluigi Collina backed the idea of sin bins, saying: ‘The idea is to start working on this as soon as possible to provide those who would be involved in the trial a protocol to be used. The idea is to get it soon.
Despite major backlash, there were some who found the positives in the blue card concept
‘The trial was very successful in grassroots competitions. Now we are talking of a higher level, very probably professional or even high professional football.’
Football Association chief executive Mark Bullingham confirmed their interest in using sin bins back in November.
‘When we were looking at sin bins – protocol clearly has to be developed – the areas we were looking at were dissent, where it’s worked very, very well in the grassroots game in England,’ he said.
The introduction of new cards has already taken place on a smaller scale on the continent, with Portugal recently adopting a new measure to recognise good sportsmanship.
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