Newcastle United & Liverpool bosses hit out at controversial rule change plans ahead of U-turn

Newcastle United head coach Eddie Howe made his stance clear following divisive plans to introduce blue cards to professional football by the International Football Association Board.

IFAB planned to introduce a new blue card punishment for players in matches that would see players sin-binned for 10 minutes as an intermediary punishment between the current yellow and red cards. The blue card was set to undergo a trial period at lower levels before being introduced at the top level further down the line.

According to IFAB, blue cards would be reserved for players who commit cynical fouls or show dissent to match officials. After the offending player serves 10 minutes in the 'sin bin' they will be allowed to return to play. Sin bins are currently in place at the lower levels of non-league and women's football for dissent but no blue cards are issued.

The potential introduction of a sin bin at the top level has faced a serious backlash. Newcastle boss Howe doesn't want to see any changes to the current card system.

"I'm not a big fan, to be honest," he said. "I think that's what yellow cards are for. I think the current system works well, it's just got to be applied right.

“I think adding a blue card would just add more confusion, in my opinion, so I'm against it.

"It will change it a lot but not, for me, in a good way because I think it will make it very bitty. More stop-start and I fear for the players who have to go off for 10 minutes and then re-find the rhythm of a Premier League game after 10 minutes out. I'm not sure it works personally." 

Over the weekend, Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp highlighted a potential flaw in the blue card system when reflecting on his yellow card after Diogo Jota was denied a penalty in the 3-1 win over Burnley.

“Just imagine this game," Klopp said afterwards. "Because we are in the middle of the blue card [discussion], that would’ve been the Wild West!

“Honestly, the cards would’ve flown. For a moment there would’ve been seven players on the pitch because everybody has a sin bin with a blue card.”

World football governing body FIFA has since got involved with the blue card discussion, stating claims to introduce the cards in elite football are 'incorrect and premature'. "Any such trials, if implemented, should be limited to testing in a responsible manner at lower levels, a position that FIFA intends to reiterate when this agenda item is discussed at the IFAB AGM on 2 March," a FIFA statement read.

As a result, IFAB have delayed the publication of the blue card proposals ahead of further discussion at the annual general meeting next month.