The blue card trial is off! IFAB postpones controversial move to introduce sin bins in professional football

IFAB was expected to make an announcement on Friday paving the way for blue cards and sin bins to be trialled in certain competitions from next season. But criticism of the plan, including from FIFA, has resulted in backtracking. ESPN reports there will be no announcement until after IFAB's AGM in early March, during which all proposed law trials and law changes will be discussed ahead of possible approval.

Lawmakers have been looking for a way to clean up football. The logic behind blue cards and players being sent to a 10-minute sin bin is punishment for an offence deemed more serious than a yellow card but not worthy of a red and permanent dismissal. Under the proposal, blue cards would only be shown for cynical fouls - ie a player deliberately fouling an opponent to halt a counter attack - or dissent towards match officials. But despite trials already looking set to go ahead from next season, FIFA put the brakes on, insisting they must be at a lower level.

Although it has always been possible for a player to be sent off, referees were not equipped with yellow and red cards to visually display that until as late as the 1970 World Cup. No red cards were brandished at that tournament, but first yellow card was shown to Soviet Union midfielder Kakhi Asatiani just 30 minutes into the opening game against hosts Mexico. The first player to be physically shown a red card in English football was Blackburn Rovers winger Dave Wagstaffe in October 1976.

Blue cards and sin bins will need to be discussed and formally approved at the IFAB AGM next month. The possibility of such measures being trialled in top level competitions from next season is not dead if approval is still granted. Whether it be will or not amid some of the backlash is another matter. Individual competitions and federations would also then need to decide if the new rules are implemented. UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin, for one, has already been dismissive of the concept.