The subject of discussions and controversies, the blue card will not be put into practice in football. At its 138th annual general meeting, held in Scotland, the International Football Association Board (IFAB) announced this Saturday, the 2nd, the introduction of new rules in the sport and left the idea out of the news. The proposal for a temporary suspension for players was also discarded by the FIFA president, Gianni Infantino.
“This is a topic that does not exist for us. FIFA is completely against blue cards. I didn’t know about this issue and I think FIFA has a say. We are always open to looking at ideas and proposals and, of course, everything must be treated with respect. But when you look at it, you also need to protect the essence and tradition of the game. There is no blue card”, declared the FIFA president before the assembly.
Shortly after the proposal was published by the English newspaper The Telegraph, in February, the highest entity in world football denied, in a note, the blue card test for temporary suspensions in elite games, and stated that the tests, if implemented, would be carried out “at lower levels”. FIFA also said that it intended to reiterate its position at the Ifab General Assembly – which it did.
According to the protocol published by the English newspaper, the blue card requires the punished athletes to leave the field for 10 minutes. The tool could be applied in cases of exaggerated complaints with referees and in tactical fouls, which aim to prevent attacks that could result in a goal for the opposing team. If two blue cards were received, a red one would be given automatically.
New rules
In addition to rejecting the blue card, Ifab announced other changes for football. Extra and permanent replacements caused by brain concussion may be performed. The measure was tested in Qatar World Cup, in 2022, with the aim of reducing physical damage caused to athletes during matches. This way, in the event of a suspected concussion, teams will be able to make a change without it being counted towards the standard limit of five substitutions.
Shin guards and penalties
Also in accordance with the new rules approved by the association, players are responsible for the size and suitability of their shin guards, which continue to be part of the mandatory set of equipment. In relation to penalties, part of the ball must touch or exceed the center of the mark and invasion by field players will only be penalized if there is an impact.
Ifab confirms, hand infractions that are not committed on purpose and for which penalties are applied must be treated in the same way as other fouls. Finally, each team must have a captain who wears an identification armband, as is already the case. The rules come into force from July 1, 2024.