By Victor Kanayo
Proposal by the International Football Association Board (IFAB) to introduce Blue Card during matches appear to have met a brick wall at least for now.
This is after the world football governing body, FIFA, spoke against the proposal.
The idea behind the proposal is to issue a Blue card to a player in a football match who acts in a cynical way or shows disrespect to a match official, with IFAB warning that poor player behaviour “might be the cancer that kills football”.
However, FIFA has described the innovation as incorrect and premature, while requesting that the Blue Card be introduced at the grassroots level of football.
This will be the first time since the introduction of the classic yellow and red cards at the 1970 World Cup that a new card would be used in football.
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FIFA statement issued via X platform reads, “FIFA wishes to clarify that reports of the so-called ‘blue card’ at elite levels of football are incorrect and premature.
“Any such trials, if implemented, should be limited to testing in a responsible manner at lower levels, a position that FIFA intends to reiterate when this agenda item is discussed at the IFAB AGM on 2 March.”
FIFA’s statement has certainly played down fears of elite football being overhauled by new rules.
But should the lower-level trials be successful, blue cards and sin-bins could eventually be used in the Premier League and other elite competitions.
