Huge football rule change to introduce BLUE CARDS in doubt after meeting to propose trial is axed

PLANS to introduce BLUE CARDS into football are now in doubt after Friday’s announcement was cancelled following widespread backlash.

The plan was set to see players receive a 10-minute sin-bin if they were guilty of committing a cynical foul, or if they showed dissent towards the referee, linesman or fourth official.

Trials to introduce blue cards were originally set to be announced at a meeting on FridayReuters

Like yellow cards, two blues would also lead to a dismissal.

But now those ideas could be scrapped less than 24 hours after the news broke.

According to The Telegraph, the reaction – including within some of football’s “corridors of power” – has led to the plans being “blocked”.

Fifa released a statement on Thursday evening insisting sin-bin trials will NOT take place in top-tier competitions.

They also confirmed any rule change would be discussed at next month’s International Football Association Board [IFAB] meeting.

IFAB, who are in charge of the laws of the game, first approved sin-bin trials back in November, but the exact protocols were due to be announced on Friday.

However, the idea has been panned by many corners of the footballing community, with the plan now postponed until “further revision”.

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe became the first Premier League manager to denounce the “blue card” idea during his press conference on Friday.

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He said:  “I’m not a big fan to be honest; that’s what yellow cards are for. The current system works well; it just has to be applied right.

“Adding a blue card would just add more confusion in my opinion so I’m against it.”

Former Arsenal midfielder Paul Merson also recently slammed the premise of sin-bins coming into football.

Speaking on Sky Sports, he said: “They’re trying to copy rugby, they are very good at it, they’ve been working on it for a long time.

“But their sin-bin is massive, you’re talking seven to ten points, the game opens up – it’s very rare you are not going to get majorly punished.

“In football, you just sit ten behind the ball and the game will be killed.

“The ball will go out and they’ll jog and get it, they’ll waste time.

“Then someone else will be sin-binned and everybody will be looking at the scoreboard going: ‘Tom is coming back on in four, so and so is back in three, what will be then? Then we will be 10 vs 10.’

“That’s how it’s going to be. That’s not football. They’re ruining the game.

“It doesn’t have to be changed that much, we are talking about the greatest sport in the world and you’re trying to change it.”

Ex-England striker Chris Sutton was another who criticised the idea before the meeting was axed.

He tweeted: “Well done IFAB for complicating the game even more and prioritising a blue card over the outdated head injury protocol which doesn’t put players first…”

While former Tottenham midfielder Jamie O’Hara said: “The game has absolutely gone.”