“It’s a red card to the idea”he stated categorically, ruling out its application at higher levels during a statement published on his Instagram account.
The controversial proposal, presented a month ago, sought to allow referees sanction players with the “blue card”, temporarily removing them from the game. However, Infantino made it clear that this initiative will not be considered at the highest level of the sport.
The “penalty bench”, introduced in the 2019-20 season in lower categories, to reduce disagreements and promote cleaner play, has also generated controversy. English Premier League coaches, in particular, expressed concerns regarding possible defensive and negative tactics if players have to go out for 10 minutes.
Other decisions made at the meeting included updates to world soccer laws to allow for additional changes if a player suffers a concussion. Despite the players’ union’s resistance to temporary substitutions, the panel approved this measure.
Along the same lines, more tests were also approved for the initiatives in professional competitions, that is, those considered “below the first two divisions.”
This will allow only the captains of each team to approach the referee and will add truce periods, where the referee can send both teams to their respective penalty zones.
Thus, the composition of the IFAB, which includes representatives from FIFA and the British football federations, highlights the need for consensus. FIFA has four votes, while England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales have one each, with six votes required to approve an initiative.
Regarding the coming changes, the members of the international panel ventured that “Any general application will only be considered once they have reviewed the impact of these changes“.
Furthermore, among the aforementioned tests is allowing referees to explain their decisions following reviewing the video, in real time. This measure, implemented during the Women’s World Cup, seeks to improve communication in stadiums, according to Ian Maxwell, head of the Scottish FA.
In this way, trying to address unsportsmanlike behavior, football is inspired by rugby and ice hockey to achieve this. Therefore, possibilities of using penalty benches similar to hockey for certain fouls are also explored, reflecting the constant search for improvements in the so-called beautiful game (The Beautiful Game).
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