FIFA President Gianni Infantino definitively shut down the proposal for “blue cards” in soccer, cards that would temporarily remove players from the field for minor offenses. This decision came ahead of the annual meeting of the International Football Association Board (IFAB), the sport’s rule-making body.
While IFAB did extend trials of existing “sin bins” used in low-level and youth games, the “blue card” concept, initially proposed a month ago, received widespread criticism. Infantino emphasized FIFA’s complete opposition to blue cards, stating it’s a “non-existent topic” for them.
The meeting saw other rule changes, including allowing competition organizers to approve additional substitutions for suspected concussions. However, player union requests for temporary substitutions with the possibility of a player returning after assessment were again rejected.
The focus on improving player behavior led to further trials in professional leagues (below the top two tiers). These trials involve allowing only captains to approach referees and incorporating “cooling-off periods” where referees can send both teams to their penalty areas.
The IFAB panel, composed of representatives from FIFA and the British soccer federations, also extended trials allowing referees to explain their decisions after video reviews. This builds on the practice used in the Women’s World Cup and will continue at the Olympics this summer. Competitions interested in referees explaining decisions must gain permission from IFAB and adhere to FIFA’s refereeing and technology guidelines.
While soccer isn’t adopting the full “sin bin” system used in rugby and ice hockey, these rule changes demonstrate a continued effort to improve on-field conduct and communication within the sport.
