What a blue card means as huge new FA rule change set to impact Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham
Premier League news as trial for drastic punishment set to be announced.
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Referee Chris Kavanagh gives a yellow card to Ben White of Arsenal
A new blue card will be trialled next season (Image: JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images)
The International Football Association Board (IFAB) are set to announce the introduction of the first new card in the sport since the 1970 World Cup. It is reported that the game's lawmakers will confirm the introduction of a 'blue card' on Friday.
The cards have been used in trials this season already in Wales. It comes after a warning from IFAB leaders that poor behaviour from players "might be the cancer that kills football.”
The Telegraph writes that the blue card will not be trialled in 'top-tier competitions' but elite trials could come as soon as the summer. The FA Cup and Women's FA Cup could be used, it is said.
What is the blue card?
The card will be used to issue a sin-bin to the offending players. This itself is a new addition to the game, though it has been used at grassroots level and in other countries across the world.
The sin-bins will be 10 minutes long. The new reforms will not be in place for the European Championships in Germany over the summer or for the new Champions League season starting from 2024/25.
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin explained that he is totally against the blue card. It’s not football anymore," he said last month.
What is a blue card given for?
The blue card will be a deterrent for dissent from players as well as cynical tackles. It comes after a huge clampdown on dissent, arguing, and shouting towards the match officials this season.
Can a player be sent off with a blue card?
The report suggests that IFAB will announce rules stating a yellow card and blue card in the same game for the same player will result in a red card. Two blues cards in the same game for the same player will also be treated as a red card.
Why is the card blue?
Unlike Gary Neville's calls for an 'orange' card at times this season when analysing how bad tackles are, the blue card will be used as it is clearly different from the other shades of red and yellow. At the 2018 Conifa World Cup - a tournament for countries not affiliated with FIFA, a green card was used to signify a foul between yellow and red cards.
The rules stated: "A player who receives a green card must leave the field of play immediately, but can be replaced if his team have not used all of their substitutes. A player receiving a green card is not excluded from his team's next match."
Green cards were also used as a fair play token at grassroots in Ireland. It has not been used in any elite level football to date.
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