A blue card is set to be introduced in professional football as part of sin-bin trials, marking the first new color of card widely used in 50 years.
The International Football Association Board is expected to announce this revolutionary move, introducing blue cards that will result in players being removed from play for 10 minutes if they commit a cynical foul or show dissent towards a match official.
Players may now be sent off if they receive two blue cards in a game or a combination of a blue and a yellow.
Elite trials for this new system could commence as early as the summer, with initial testing excluding top-tier competitions.
FA Cup and Women’s FA Cup matches are reportedly being considered for trials, and the Football Association may volunteer next season’s competitions for testing.
Blue cards have already been used in grassroots football in Wales as part of a sin-bin trial, with the color chosen to clearly differentiate it from yellow or red cards.
This move follows a trend in adopting new cards on a smaller scale in other regions, such as Portugal introducing a white card to recognize good sportsmanship.
A Portuguese fifth division player received a white card after displaying sportsmanship by not taking advantage of an opposing defender’s injury, earning applause from fans and acknowledgment from the referee.