Barring a stunning 180-degree change of course, the International Football Association Board (IFAB) is soon to implement its sin bin trial protocols, potentially eroding the purity and simplicity of football even further than what has been achieved under the VAR regime.
The upcoming change will see blue cards awarded to players for dissent or tactical fouls, and the final wording and details around the initiative were due to be presented this coming Friday, yet have now been delayed until next month.
It appears the IFAB annual general meeting to be held in early March will provide the time and space required to iron out perceived imperfections with the new protocols, the precise wording of them, and the all-important manner in how officials will interpret them on the pitch in the heat of battle.
For anyone uninitiated in the game of football, or someone who may have arrived from Mars in recent days, the game has two cards at the disposal of referees.
Should a player commit a rather aggressive or serious foul, the official can brandish a yellow card if he or she deems it fitting. If a player commits a series of minor offences, the same punishment can be administered to them, once the decision maker has had enough of their antics.
When a second yellow card is shown to an already-carded individual, the player is then greeted with a red one from the same pocket and dismissed from the field immediately. In extreme circumstances, a footballer is jettisoned from the playing surface in one fell swoop with what is termed a ‘straight red’, for what is deemed to be a nasty foul and one deserving of an early shower.
It is astonishingly straightforward. Five-year-olds can understand the concept fairly quickly when it is explained to them.
And despite obvious conjecture among fans; all biased and completely one-eyed in their opinions, the system has worked pretty well in recent times around the globe, especially with referees seemingly keener than ever to open up the game and punish cart-horse defenders for cynical play.
Goals per game statistics are in a healthy state in most major leagues around the world, with the A-League a perfect example of negative play being disciplined consistently and the fans getting better value for money in terms of goals on the board and the associated entertainment.
It does seem frightfully logical to suggest that the expansion to include another card and create a three-tiered system, will do little more than lessen clarity for referees, incite further infuriation in fans and cause many football fans to ask, “If it deserves a blue card, why not just give them a yellow”?
Instead, referees will now be placed in a position in which they are forced to decide whether the infringement they have just witnessed deserves a blue card and what looks likely to be a short period in the “sin bin”, or one better reprimanded by a traditional yellow card.
Goodness me, it all sounds a little too much like the discussion around the “natural silhouette” and the subsequently absurd interpretations made by referees all around the world in relation to the body position of defenders in the box when it comes to handball decisions.
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The officials are the victims in a strange game where perfection is attempted but never reached and the frailties of humans are a consistent reminder as to why AI is a dangerous path to tread.
Yellow cards have consequences, always have and hopefully always will. The player is immediately put on notice and a little more cautious in future challenges whilst walking the tightrope.
A collection of cards sees matches missed and the double booking of players has seen many a team lose thanks to being down to ten and the culprit living in a world of guilt for the week that follows.
It sounds like IFAB are heading down a water polo way of thinking, planning to dish out blue cards for minor or professional infringements, and benching players for short periods as punishment.
Frankly, watching the odd game of water polo, it comes across as something of a farce, where players use professional tactics knowing their teammates can hang on for a few minutes in desperation before they return to the water themselves.
Football does not need that and never will.
In essence, yellow cards will become blues, reds will become yellows and the idea of dismissing a player for a serious infringement is far less likely in the minds of officials. The more layers created, the more extreme the top tier becomes and that is simply psychology 101.
VAR annoys everyone bar the strangest person in the room; the time wasted and over-analysis grows ever frustrating. Adding a further card to the collection in an official’s pocket threatens to further enrage football fans who long for the purity of the game and the simplicity of it to be returned.
Somehow, the writing appears to be on the wall and the blue cards seem inevitable. I hope I am wrong, but it simply looks like another dopey move from the powers at be.
fabian gulino
Roar Rookie
Blue cards? we don't need them. Whats next pink cards to? leave the game as it is. give me a break.
Marcel
Roar Rookie
You should give it a try ...a well executed header on goal is immensely satisfying!
Ben Pobjie
Expert
Seems to be it'd be fair enough to just make dissent a straight red. It is, after all, the easiest of offences for a player to avoid committing, so it's not like anyone sent off for dissent could claim to be unlucky.
FieldGoal
Roar Rookie
It’s dissent. Stop making excuses.
Sheffield WesDay
Roar Rookie
A good response. I think it would also be prudent for the refs to bring back those start of the game team talks. Remember in the good old days when we lined up at the half way with the other team, walked on together and the ref addressed us all as human beings. They would take that opportunity to be very clear on the behaviour they expect from the players and also how they plan to behave in return. A simple conversation at the start of the game like that would make it very clear what the ref deems as dissent, who and how players might address them in the game, and what they deem cautionable offences. When did we stop this practice?
Sheffield WesDay
Roar Rookie
I was ref. I refed from the age of 15 until I was 21 (granted that was almost 20 years ago). I have spoken with my son about how he spoke to the ref, but as a 15 year old kid that was "wrestled" off the ball (kudos for him not simply going to ground and "milking" the free kick), I believe his reaction was not justified, but understandable. I agree with Stuart, I dont not think what he said was dissent. If he had rephrased asking for the foul ie "where is the foul", or "come on ref, he has me around the waist"....possibly a different outcome. But the yellow card should have been enough for the ref to stamp his authority, show my boy that he will not accept being spoken to like that, and made it very clear he will not tolerate it again. IFAB say "Dissent: Public protest or disagreement (verbal and/or physical) with a match official’s decision; punishable by a caution (yellow card)". This is dangerous ground. If they introduce this Blue Card, they will ned to be very specific as to describing what can and cant be said. I for one do not want to see players sent from the field simply because the shake their heads in "disagreement" as a refs decision.
Munro Mike
Roar Rookie
#Marcel Thanks mate. btw - while my #1 sport is Aust Footy.......I've got broader interest in both the history/evolution of football and that includes an eye towards the future. The header in soccer always........always gets me.
Munro Mike
Roar Rookie
#Con Version I recall an episode of Buck Rogers in the 25th Century with the future 'football' being a variant of American Football.......ah the American view of everything including the centuries distant future. AFL.........never gonna happen. Too big a field. I'd see something more akin to a soccer/basketball mash up........or.......Kabaddi!!!
Aiden
Roar Rookie
Simply untrue. There are many articles on this site are about the constant VAR errors. The Guardian Football Weekly podcast dedicated an entire episode to the fact that in the UK the discussion about football is largely driven by controversy, VAR, handball, fouls and their outcomes, rather than discussion about tactics.
Stevo
Roar Rookie
Stop the football world, I want to get off :unhappy: The sin bin idea is in the IFAB laws of the game 2023/24 which you can download here: https://www.theifab.com/downloads/laws-of-the-game-2023-24?l=en Page 22, Guidelines for temporary dismissals (sin bins) Good luck wading through it all. Who'd want to be a ref, honestly.
Megeng
Roar Rookie
In our other codes all these officiating changes were driven by creating more space for tv ads. So maybe they're thinking VAR reviews for dissent, with lip readers to see what the player actually said. That'll take ages
Marcel
Roar Rookie
Yellow + Blue = Green.....so we'd need a fourth card to cover that.
Redondo
Roar Rookie
As for the VAR, a statute of limitations would be a good thing. If someone armed with replays can't spot an error in less than 30 seconds then the error can't have been clear and obvious. If the VAR official can't come up with something in those 30 seconds, then the game should go with whatever the ref decided.
chris1
Roar Rookie
They don't change their mind on that decision but it probably influences their next decision.
Tony Hodges
Roar Rookie
Both rugby codes manage it fine, though. The key is having a penalty just strong enough, but not overkill. In the rugbies, it’s marching the penalty 10m downfield. In football, playing a man down for 10 minutes feels about right.
Redondo
Roar Rookie
Dissent doesn't affect the current game, it affects the ref and the other officials. So, it seems silly to alter the current game to punish somebody for dissent. Why not just put a player on report for dissent, with 2 reports for dissent leading to a suspension, hopefully a long one. I am ambivalent about introducing a new card, but I would like to see reds issued for the more grotesque professional fouls e.g. desperate rugby tackles
Tony Hodges
Roar Rookie
I reckon that would happen once per league, though, and then that behavior would end.
Garry
Roar Rookie
On a more upsetting note Allianz is currently mainly clay due to the Pink concert :angry:
coolncold
Roar Rookie
Haha
Garry
Roar Rookie
so whats the difference with now? no extra time delay anyhow..I waited 7 minutes at least recently while the ref decided if a red was required or a yellow.. fairly he gave a yellow. Either by the rule or the situation it should be clear if its a blue or red under debate. People are talking for dissent only but I would add those current reds for normal football tackles which current rules mandate must be red.