After VAR, soccer is set for another refereeing revolution. According to the Telegraph, the IFAB, FIFA's body responsible for the rules of the game, has approved the blue card. It will be introduced in minor competitions in the trial phase, and if necessary refined before being used in major competitions.
After the introduction of yellow and red cards at the 1970 World Cup, blue cards were introduced 54 years later. They will allow referees to remove a player from the field for 10 minutes in two cases. If a footballer makes a foul to cancel out a promising move, but the foul is not punishable by a red card, the referee can issue a blue card and send him off for 10 minutes. Similarly, if a player criticizes the referee or a match official, he may be shown a blue card.
Receiving two blue cards in the same match will result in a red card and permanent exclusion from the pitch. If a player receives a blue card and a red card, he will also be excluded.
As a reminder, the tests will take place during minor competitions and FA Cup matches. The blue cards could be used in major competitions as early as next summer.