Temporary dismissals, popularly known as “sin bins,” will be introduced across all levels of English grassroots football in the 2019-20 season, the Football Association (FA) said on Tuesday.
The rule change allows referees to dismiss a player from the pitch for 10 minutes, with the FA saying they saw a 38 percent reduction in dissent following a testing phase.
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“The FA successfully piloted sin bins during the 2017-18 season, and then extended this to a total of 31 leagues throughout the 2018-19 season as part of its commitment to improve the match day experience for all,” a statement from the FA read.
“After gathering positive feedback from players, referees and coaches, sin bins will now be rolled out across all leagues at grassroots level in a bid to increase participation and to continue improving match day experiences.
“The mandatory rule change will be implemented up to Step five of the National League System, and Tier three and below in women’s football.”
Players who show dissent will be shown a yellow card as the referee points to the touchline, indicating a player has been sent to the sin bin. Two such temporary dismissals will result in the player being sent off.
“Dissent is a key part of the game that needs to be tackled, and our pilot phase has proved that sin bins work well,” FA CEO Mark Bullingham said.
“They allow referees to address incidents of dissent quickly and effectively. The trial showed a huge impact on behaviour.
“We want to roll this out to the whole game and make it more enjoyable for everyone.”