World football governing body, FIFA, have broken their silence on the controversial new card rule that has been approved by the International Football Association Board (IFAB).
We reported earlier that IFAB have approved a new card rule that will see players removed from matches and placed on sin bins for 10 minutes before returning to action.
Players who have been deemed by the referee to have committed cynical fouls or dispute the referee's decision will be issued blue cards and removed from the match for 10 minutes.
The move has been met with heavy criticism by football analysts, pundits, fans, including football coaches. The measure has been blasted as irrelevant and unnecessary with the game already grappling with the recently introduced VAR. Sin bins, they claim will wear down the team's competitiveness while giving opponents an undue numerical advantage.
Amidst loads of criticisms of the initiative, some national Football Associations have given the nod to the new rule and are ready to implement it in their lower leagues.
Meanwhile, FIFA have cleared the air that they are yet to deliberate and approve the new rule. In a statement shared in their X handle, the world's football governing body made it clear that they are still working on the modalities of the new rule and it may end up not thrusted into elite leagues around the world.
"FIFA wishes to clarify that reports of the so-called 'blue card' at elite levels of football are incorrect and premature.
Any such trials, if implemented, should be limited to testing in a responsible manner at lower levels, a position that FIFA intends to reiterate when this agenda item is discussed at the IFAB AGM on 2 March," FIFA statement reads.
England FA and other FAs in Europe are reportedly set to experiment with sin bins in the FA Cup next year, as per reports.
We reported earlier that IFAB have approved a new card rule that will see players removed from matches and placed on sin bins for 10 minutes before returning to action.
Players who have been deemed by the referee to have committed cynical fouls or dispute the referee's decision will be issued blue cards and removed from the match for 10 minutes.
The move has been met with heavy criticism by football analysts, pundits, fans, including football coaches. The measure has been blasted as irrelevant and unnecessary with the game already grappling with the recently introduced VAR. Sin bins, they claim will wear down the team's competitiveness while giving opponents an undue numerical advantage.
Amidst loads of criticisms of the initiative, some national Football Associations have given the nod to the new rule and are ready to implement it in their lower leagues.
Meanwhile, FIFA have cleared the air that they are yet to deliberate and approve the new rule. In a statement shared in their X handle, the world's football governing body made it clear that they are still working on the modalities of the new rule and it may end up not thrusted into elite leagues around the world.
"FIFA wishes to clarify that reports of the so-called 'blue card' at elite levels of football are incorrect and premature.
Any such trials, if implemented, should be limited to testing in a responsible manner at lower levels, a position that FIFA intends to reiterate when this agenda item is discussed at the IFAB AGM on 2 March," FIFA statement reads.
England FA and other FAs in Europe are reportedly set to experiment with sin bins in the FA Cup next year, as per reports.