Football gives referees a BLUE CARD – the first new card color to be widely used in 50 years – as part of revolutionary new rules

A blue card will be introduced into professional football as part of sin-bin trials, which will be the first new card color to be widely used in 50 years.

According to De TelegraafThe revolutionary move will be announced by the International Football Association Board on Friday as part of new measures that will see players removed from the game for 10 minutes if they commit a cynical foul or express dissent to a match official.

The protocols will add a new wrinkle to dismissals as players will now be sent off if they receive two blue cards in a game or a combination of a blue and a yellow.

The report goes on to say that elite trials could begin as early as the summer, although top-level competition will be excluded from the initial tests.

As a result, FA Cup and Women's FA Cup matches could be included in trials, with the FA reportedly considering volunteering to test next season's competitions.

The blue card is limited to offenses that prevent a promising attack, and confirms that a red card must be shown if they receive two blue cards or a combination of a blue and yellow card.

The new protocol will also be limited to cases of dissent towards a match official

This season, blue cards have been used in a sin-bin trial in grassroots football in Wales, with the color chosen to clearly distinguish it from a yellow or red card.

The introduction of new cards has already taken place on a smaller scale across the continent, with Portugal recently adopting a new measure to recognize good sportsmanship.

In October last year, a Portuguese fifth division player was believed to be the first recipient of a white card on the men's card after missing a goal-scoring opportunity after an opposing defender gave the ball away on the edge of his own penalty area and immediately was injured and in significant pain.

The attacker quickly realized the defender was seriously injured and turned away from the goal before kicking the ball out for a throw-in so he could receive treatment.

The sporting gesture was applauded by the fans in attendance and was quickly recognized by the referee, who walked up to the player and waved the white card.

Should trials prove successful in curbing cases of cynical transgressions and dissent, the new card could be added to the game's rules.

An example of good use of the sin bin was seen in the then Euro 2020 final, when Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini pulled the shirt of England's Bukayo Saka and only received a yellow card.

Under the new rules, Chiellini could have been forced to spend ten minutes on the sidelines, leaving Italy with ten men to England's eleven.

Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini withdraws the shirt of England's Bukayo Saka in the Euro 2020 final, for which he received a yellow card

FIFA referee chief Pierluigi Collina supported the idea of ​​sin bins, saying: 'The idea is to start working on this as soon as possible to give those who would be involved in the trial a protocol that can be used. The idea is to get it quickly.

'The trial was very successful in basic competitions. Now we are talking about a higher level, most likely professional football or even high professional football.'

Football Association CEO Mark Bullingham confirmed their interest in using sin bins in November.

“When we looked at sin bins – clearly there needs to be a protocol developed – the areas we looked at were dissent, where it worked very, very well in the grassroots game in England,” he said.

In contrast, UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has expressed his objection to the measure and no sin-bins will be used at this summer's European Championship or next season's Champions League.