Introduction of Blue Cards: Initial Testing at Lower-Level Football Tournaments

Low-level Football Competitions to Test Blue Cards

Low-level football competitions are set to introduce initial tests for the implementation of blue cards. According to the Telegraph, following a decision by the International Football Association Board (IFAB), «blue cards» will be the first new cards to be used in sports competitions since the introduction of yellow and red cards at the 1970 FIFA World Cup.

Blue cards entail players being removed from the field for 10 minutes if they commit a cynical foul or argue with referees. Initially, these cards are expected to be introduced in lower-level competitions. There may be a need for refinement of the new rules during initial testing, but testing the new card in elite competitions may not begin until the summer.

It is currently anticipated that the introduction of blue cards may be tested among both men and women. However, these cards will not be used at the UEFA European Football Championship in Germany (Euro 2024) or in the next season of the UEFA Champions League, as UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin stated last month that he is completely against such innovation.