International Board leaves aside temporary expulsion proposal, but implements new features such as extra substitution, among others
A IFAB (International Board) announced some changes and tests in football rules this Saturday, 2nd, leaving the controversial blue card out of the new decisions. At the arrival of the 138th Annual General Assembly, which took place in Scotland, Gianni Infantinopresident of FIFA, guaranteed that the idea was rejected by the sport’s highest entity.
“There will be no blue card in the elite. This is a topic that does not exist for us. FIFA is completely against the blue card. If you want a title, it’s “red card to blue card”. We’re always open to ideas and proposals, but when you take a look, you also need to protect the essence and tradition of the game. There is no blue card”, said Infantino, a month after the entity declared that the adoption of the method in professional football was premature. The blue card would be used to remove players from the field who practiced simulation, anti-game fouls or showed disrespect to the referee for 10 minutes.
The main decision passed at the meeting was the ratification of the additional and permanent substitution in cases of concussion, a measure tested even during the 2022 World Cup. The additional change officially enters the sport’s rules from July 1, 2024, and may be adopted at the discretion of federations and leagues. In total, there were five new features:
Additional permanent concussion replacements will be an in-competition option as per necessary protocol; Each team must have a captain who wears an identification armband; Players are responsible for the size and fit of their shin guards, which remain a mandatory part of their equipment; Non-deliberate hand infractions, for which maximum penalties are applied, must be treated in the same way as other fouls; Part of the ball must touch or go beyond the center of the penalty mark, and invasion by field players will only be penalized if it has an impact.
RED CARD PRO BLUE CARD! 🟦❌ Gianni Infantino, president of FIFA, stated that the idea of change was blocked and is not in the entity’s plans! pic.twitter.com/JQX9nRIsFZ
— TNT Sports BR (@TNTSportsBR) March 2, 2024
The IFAB also established protocols for potential changes in football, through tests in lower divisions, aiming to improve players’ behavior on the field and protect referees. They are: that only the team captain can speak to the referee in certain situations; increase from six to eight seconds in possession of the ball in the goalkeeper’s hands, under penalty of reversal; and pauses that allow the referee to send players to their respective penalty areas.
Source: sportbuzz
I am William Jackson and I have a passion for sports journalism. With over 3 years of experience in the industry, I have worked in a variety of roles to improve the quality and accuracy of sports news coverage. As an author at Athletistic, I specialize in covering football news and providing comprehensive analysis for fans around the world.
