IFAB recommends use of ‘sin bins’ to penalise players confronting referees

International Football Association Board (IFAB) has approved a trial of sin bins as sanctions for players’ dissent and specific tactical offences.

The football rule-making body announced the decision in a statement on its website on Tuesday.

IFAB said the proposed rule aims to improve players’ behaviour in football and increase respect for match officials and would be trialled at “higher levels” of the sport.

The statement added that the sin-bins rule has had a “successful implementation in grassroots football”.

Sin bins are temporary dismissals of players for offences which are not too grave to warrant permanent sending off nor too frivolous to escape punishment.

The proposed time frame for the sin bins trial in professional football is 10 minutes for players who bombard the match officials to contend their decisions.

The trial will include a rule allowing only the team captains to approach the referee during a match to protest calls.

“Following the recommendations made in October by The IFAB’s Football and Technical Advisory Panels, the ABM supported a proposed trial whereby only the team captain may approach the referee in certain major game situations. In addition, it was agreed that temporary dismissals (sin bins) for dissent and specific tactical offences should be trialled at higher levels, following their successful implementation in grassroots football. Protocols and a system for trialling will now be developed,” the statement reads.

“The stricter application of the Laws of the Game against players and coaches who demonstrate disrespectful conduct and the better management of mass confrontations were also amongst the measures discussed, with further trials to be developed.”

WHY SIN BINS ARE NEEDED IN FOOTBALL? 

Sin bins have been used in rugby, ice hockey and basketball. While proposing the rule in October, IFAB identified dissent from players and coaches as the “primary reason for match interruptions and abandonment”.

Speaking on the situation, Lukas Brud, the chief executive of IFAB, said while players may worry less about a yellow card, missing 10 minutes of a game due to a confrontation with the referee might be the right effort to address the problem.

“Players approaching in an aggressive manner simply cannot be tolerated any longer. We have even seen on a number of occasions where players deliberately go behind a referee with others coming in front of him so he cannot get away. If only the captain can approach the referee, then afterwards he or she can explain to their team-mates what has happened,” he said.

According to the English FA, since the introduction of the sin bins across all grassroots levels in 2019, there has been a 38% total reduction in dissent across 31 leagues.