The International Football Association Board said it is set to introduce a blue card in professional football as part of sin-bin trials.
This will make it the first new colour of card widely used in 50 years.
The use of red and yellow cards in football began in 1970.
It was reportedly introduced by English referee Ken Aston during the FIFA World Cup in Mexico.
Since then, red and yellow cards have become widely adopted by football associations worldwide as a disciplinary measure for players’ misconduct on the field.
According to reports on Thursday, the development will be announced by the International Football Association Board on Friday as part of new measures that will see players removed from play for 10 minutes if they commit a cynical foul or show dissent towards a match official.
This development will introduce a fresh aspect to player dismissals, with individuals facing expulsion if they accumulate two blue cards during a match or a combination of a blue and a yellow card.
Also, trials at the elite level could commence as early as the summer, although top-tier competitions will not initially participate in the testing phase.
This implies that FA Cup and Women’s FA Cup matches may be included in trials, with the FA reportedly considering to volunteer next season’s competitions for testing.
The introduction of new cards has already taken place on a smaller scale on the continent, with Portugal recently adopting a new measure to recognise good sportsmanship.
Quadri Olaitan is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, public affairs, and human-interest stories.
