IFAB set to announce the introduction of Blue cards to players

The body responsible for setting the laws of football, the International Football Association Board ( IFAB) have announced that Blues cards will be issued to players who act in a a cynical manner.

This introduction of the Blue card was announced by the body on Friday, February 9, 2024. According to the IFAB, this new innovation is part of sin-bin protocols that will see players removed from the field for 10 minutes if they commit a cynical foul or show dissent towards a match official.

The Football Association of Wales are most likely to be the first association that will use the Blue card. They are planning to introduce it in grassroots competitions this season. This is the first time that a new colour of card has been introduced since the 1970 World Cup.

How does the Blue card work?

The Blue card will be issued to players that prevent a promising attack plus dissent, as well as confirming a player should be shown a red card if they receive two blue cards during a match or a combination of yellow and blue.

The blue cards will form part of the trial involving sin bins and aim to give greater protection to referees and could be tested by the Football Association (FA) in next year’s men’s and women’s FA Cups.

However, competitions like the UEFA will be excluded from initial testing in the professional game in case the protocols require further refinement, but elite trials could still begin as soon as the summer.