[Sport] Soccer set to trial sin bins for dissent and ‘tactical offences’

[REFLX]

Soccer is set to trial sin bins at the higher levels of the game in a bid to improve player behavior towards match officials – a move that has drawn a mixed response.

The International Football Association Board (IFAB), the sport’s lawmaking body, announced on Monday that sin bins should be trialed “for dissent and specific tactical offences” having been successfully implemented at a grassroots level.

Unlike a red card, this would see player leave the pitch for a set period of time and return to the match later on, similar to the 10-minute sin bin successfully introduced to rugby more than 20 years ago.

As part of further measures aimed at improving player conduct, the IFAB also supported a proposed trial for only team captains to approach the referee “in certain major game situations.”

Speaking at the IFAB’s Annual Business Meeting in London, former referee Pierluigi Collina, the chairman of global governing body FIFA’s referees committee, said: “The trial was very successful in grassroot competitions. We are now talking of bringing it to a higher level.

“That was a great experience, but an experience with kids. Now, we are talking of a higher level – very probably professional, or even high professional football.”

The announcement has been supported by Ref Support UK, a charity representing the interests of match officials, which called the changes “positive.”

It added: “This is a major positive step forward in addressing poor behaviour in our game. Well done to all involved.”

Meanwhile, former England and Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher, now a pundit for Sky Sports, wrote on X, formerly Twitter: “I’ve never been a fan of sin bins before, but we are watching too many games that have cards & for me it ruins the game … Totally for only allowing the captain to talk to the referee, I do know that’s very hypocritical coming from me!!”

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