November 28, 2023, 4:26 p.m
Updated 27 minutes ago
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Players surround referee Michael Oliver during the recent Tottenham vs Chelsea game
Plans for football to introduce 10-minute sin penalties for cynical fouls and disagreements have been recommended for trial in the professional game.
The game’s legislative body, the International Football Association Board (Ifab), said it would “determine which levels are best to test”.
The process will also include a rule that only allows the team captain to address the referee during a game.
Sin-Bins have been tested at the base since 2019.
The proposals were announced at an Ifab meeting in London on Tuesday and must be approved at the annual general meeting in March 2024.
Former referee Pierluigi Collina, chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee and a member of the technical subcommittee of FIFA’s professional body, said the proposed tests would “very likely” involve professional football.
Ifab secretary Lukas Brud said one of the next steps was to identify the appropriate competition where the tests could take place.
“The positive message from the meeting is: ‘Yes, we will do something in that direction,'” Brud told ` Sport.
“Over the next few weeks and months we will find out which stages are best to test.
“I hope that in the next few months we will have clarity about which competitions also want to try this out.
“It is up to them, the competition organizers, to decide whether they want to take part in these trials or not.
“I think it’s important to understand that something this big and such a big decision needs to be carefully considered when creating protocols and setting up the system for testing.”
If adopted, the proposals would apply to both men’s and women’s football.
Cases against sin bins for tactical fouls are being examined
Sin-bins were piloted in 2018-19 and resulted in the Football Association reporting an overall fall in disagreements of 38% across 31 leagues.
The rule change was then implemented up to the fifth tier of the National League system and up to the third tier and below in women’s football.
FA chief executive Mark Bullingham, a member of the Ifab board, suggested that sin bins for tactical fouls could also be considered in the future.
“I find [there is] Frustration for fans watching games when they see a promising counter-attack being derailed by it [a tactical foul]Bullingham said.
“The question of whether a yellow card is enough for this led us to think about whether that should also be included in the protocol.”
“The starting point was looking at player behavior and disagreements. We will then consider whether we should extend this to other areas, such as tactical fouls.”
Former Chelsea and England centre-back John Terry called it quits
Former Liverpool and England defender Jamie Carragher said he has been “not a fan of sin bins” but feels “too many games” are being ruined by red cards.
“A couple of cases this season where a little feels more than a yellow but a red feels harsh are Marcus Rashford and Curtis Jones,” Carragher wrote on X.
“Plus, a lot of people weren’t happy with yellow.” [Kai] Havertz and [Bruno] Guimaraes, but I wouldn’t want a red card for that, so the yellow card could be the sin.”
VAR issues were also discussed
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The results of VAR decisions are currently displayed on large screens during football matches
Discussions about the use of Video Assistant Referee (VAR) were also on the agenda at the Ifab meeting, chaired by Scottish Football Association chief executive Ian Maxwell.
Ifab said any formal recommendations or trials arising from an ongoing Fifa-led review of VAR “should not lead to additional delays” during matches.
The legislature also said technology would continue to develop semi-automated offside decisions to “assist match officials on the field” and enable them to “accelerate decision-making regarding offside situations.”
There have also been attempts to address frustration over the lack of communication about VAR decisions by Ifab following a trial against FIFA.
During the Women’s World Cup in July, referees announced VAR decisions to the audience via microphone, fans in stadiums and viewers at home – a first for an international FIFA senior tournament.
In September, a miscommunication between VAR Darren England and referee Simon Hooper led to Liverpool’s Luis Diaz incorrectly disallowing a goal for offside in the Premier League game against Tottenham.
Ifab has recommended that an announcement of the final decision by the referee following a VAR review should be included in the Laws of the Game.
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