Premier League managers such as Jurgen Klopp and Ange Postecoglou gave their opinion on the introduction of the blue card.
What is the new blue card rule?
The blue card is apart of the sin-bin trail which is a new rule that hopes to tackle dissent made by players towards referees. Any player who receives a blue card will have to exit the pitch for 10 minutes.
The blue card will also be used if a player commits a cynical foul that stops a promising counter attack. If a player gets two blue cards, then they will get a red card and will leave the pitch.
The International Football Association Board (Ifab), have signed off on this new rule. There has yet to be a date announced on when the card will be introduced.
What did they say?
Ahead of another weekend of Premier League football, Klopp and Postecoglou were amongst the managers who were asked about the blue card as part of the new Sin-Bin rule.
The manager’s responses were similar to fans. They both claim it adds more confusion to the sport and could spoil the game.
Tottenham boss Postecoglou said: “I struggle to understand why this urgency suddenly to bring in new things. I don’t know if there’s that much wrong with the game.
“My issue with the game right now is that VAR has changed football as an experience. I don’t know why a different colour card is going to make a difference.
“I don’t know about this taking things from other sports. Other sports are trying to make their games faster, we’re bringing in more clutter.”
The sin-bin was an idea taken from Rugby. Much like VAR, the referring is praised in Rugby and it’s becoming the blueprint in other sports.
Klopp’s reaction
Liverpool boss Klopp said: “I think what the actual situation shows, we should make it and keep it as somehow possible for the referees as well. It’s a difficult job, we all know that, we’re often quite emotional when we speak about it because it’s most often after the game.
“I think the introduction of a new card would just give more opportunities to fail as well because the discussion will be, ‘It was a blue card, should have been a yellow card, now it’s ten minutes off, in the good old times it would have been a red card or only a yellow’.
“Whatever, these kind of things just make it more complicated. If they want to test it, I have no problem with testing but if that’s the first step to agreeing or already being I’m sure that it will happen, but I don’t know that to be honest, I have no idea.
“It doesn’t sound like a fantastic idea in the first moment but actually I can’t remember the last fantastic idea came from these guys, if they ever had one, IFAB. No, I’m 56, nah, never.”
When will the blue card be introduced?
Top-tier competitions, such as the Premier League, will be excluded from initial testing in the professional game in case the protocols require further refinement.
However trials could begin in the FA Cup and Women’s FA Cup, with the Football Association considering volunteering for next season.
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