Elite football could see some radical changes introduced from next season, with the use of sin-bins potentially being trialled in the Premier League.
The International Football Association Board (IFAB) have agreed to trial the use of 10-minute sin-bins in top-level competitions such as the Premier League in a bid to reduce dissent and cynical fouls, according to The Telegraph. Sin-bins have previously worked successfully in grassroots football at reducing dissent and could now be used at the elite level. Tactical fouls would also be punished using the rugby-style sin-bid sanction which would potentially see players leave the pitch for a period of 10 minutes.
Sin-bins are not the only big change which is potentially set to be introduced. Another rule that would only allow team captains to speak to referees may also be trialled. The handball rules will also be tweaked, to ensure only deliberate handballs which directly prevent a goal are worthy of a red card. An update to semi-automated offsides will also be trialled. The new technology would see referees sent an alert as soon as a player is more than 50cm offside. Penalty-takers will also be put under more scrutiny, with rules to ensure the ball must be placed on the centre of the spot, and not edged forward, before a kick is taken.
Football Association chief executive and Ifab director Mark Bullingham, said: “The areas we were looking at were dissent, where it’s worked very, very well in the grassroots game in England.
“We’ve also spoken about other areas, particularly tactical fouls. I think frustration for fans when they’re watching games when they see a promising counter-attack that’s ruined by that – and the question of whether a yellow card is sufficient for that – has led to us looking at whether that should be involved in the protocol as well.”
“Some players do commit a foul – I know people call it a tactical foul, cynical foul, professional foul, but a foul that prevents a promising attack – and they do it consciously knowing they’re going to get a yellow card, and we think that really breaks up the game. So, would they not do it if they felt there was going to be a sin-bin?
“I think with all of these things, success of sin-bins in grassroots game has been prevention, rather than cure. You get to a point where players know the threat of sin-bins and, therefore, don’t transgress. And we would hope that it would make the same change.”
Any potential changes will not take place until next season, with other alterations are also planned. FIFA are reportedly considering handing out “greater responsibilities” to VAR which would include making decisions on free-kicks, corners and second yellow cards.
