‘No way!’ - Blue card idea shut down by FIFA president Gianni Infantino as he urges football to ‘be serious’ amid revolutionary rule change proposal

Last Month The Telegraph reported that the International Football Association Board (IFAB) are planning to introduce blue cards to the game and it could be implemented as early as next season. While the report claimed that the cards will not be used in top-tier competitions, they could be given a run out in domestic cup tournaments like the FA Cup and League Cup should the Football Association (FA) volunteer the tournaments as part of the trial. FIFA, though, had dismissed the idea of bringing blue cards in elite competitions.

Now FIFA president Infantino has backed the organisation as he claimed that there is "no way" the rule change will happen, as he told reporters, "This is a topic that is non-existent for us. Fifa is completely opposed to blue cards. I was not aware of this topic, the president of Fifa - and I think Fifa has a say in IFAB. No way. We have to be serious. We are always open to looking at ideas and proposals and everything has to be treated with respect of course. But once you look at it you also have to protect the essence and tradition of the game. There is no blue card."

The proposed rule change would have been used as part of a sin-bin trial to reduce players' dissents against referees and cynical fouls. The trials would have seen a player getting banished for 10 minutes.

While the plan to implement blue cards is likely to be scrapped, The Athletic reports that sin bins could get the nod when FIFA and IFAB come together on Sunday for the Annual General Meeting.