2024-02-10 00:01:19
In the world of football, nothing is static. As in other sports, the rules are made through trial and error. With that concept in mind, it was Kenneth Georges Aston He promoted the use of red and yellow cards that debuted in the 1970 World Cup in Mexico, being one of the most revolutionary inventions in the most popular sport. Now, the controversy has arisen with the possible inclusion of a new sanctioning tool: the blue card.
Sports innovation raised pros and cons, but what are the changes that this new measure would offer? A priori, the new provision promoted by the International Football Association Board (IFAB), which is the entity made up of the four British football federations and FIFA, responsible for the rules of the game on a global scale, would allow temporary expulsions, a resource typical of other disciplines such as rugby or hockey. Thus, the footballer who receives a sanction of this type would have to be off the playing field for 10 minutes.
Specifically, it would be used to sanction two situations: reckless or tactical fouls or claims for referee decisions. This decision goes hand in hand with another provision of the refereeing entity that only the captains have the power to be the interlocutors with the referees of each match.
Furthermore, if the player has a yellow card and a blue or two blue cards, he will automatically be sent off with a red card. “We have identified the bad behavior of the players as a serious problem for football. We are looking at what we can do by changing the rules of the game. A scheduled expulsion could be a greater deterrent than a warning. There is also a lot of interest on the part of various parties in the idea that only the captain can correctly approach the referee,” he explained. Luke’s Bridemember of the IFAB.
Once the news was known, and after criticism appeared about the inclusion of this element, FIFA released a statement clarifying that the “test” of this new element will be used at lower levels.
“Any test of this type, if implemented, must be responsibly limited to lower levels, a position that FIFA intends to reiterate when this item is discussed on March 2 at the annual IFAB meeting,” he elaborates. the notice. This decision means that the blue card will not be included in the next most important tournaments such as the Euro Cup, the Copa América and until the next World Cup in 2026.
But how would the inclusion of this new element change the game? The first consideration to make is how the use of this new element will be delimited, that is, what fouls would have to be sanctioned with blue. Although it is true that, as happened with the yellow one (which had its premiere with Kurt Tschenscher when he admonished Kakhi Asiatiani in the 0-0 draw between the Soviet Union and Mexico in the 1970 World Cup) time will refine this criterion, the truth is that in principle the referee’s decision will be full of gray.
Likewise, as happens in other disciplines, the temporary departure could “benefit” the sporting spectacle, because if a team has a disadvantage it would allow for a greater number of attacks by the rival, taking advantage of the numerical advantage.
Although the exclusion of a player would not be new, the truth is that during 90 minutes there would be a greater variation in tactical drawings. This would be caused because the coaches should reinforce the defense or take advantage of the advantage in the 10 minutes that the extra player has.
However, the umbrella of doubts about certain game situations still exists: What will happen if the goalkeeper is temporarily sent off, will a replacement be able to enter or will his role have to be occupied by a field player? What will happen if a player receives the blue card in the last five minutes of the match? What happens if a player makes a complaint after receiving a yellow card, will he be penalized with blue? These are some of the doubts surrounding the controversial regulations that have not yet defined the limits.
“The general idea I have of the rules is that everything is simplified as much as possible. I don’t know if this simplifies the referee’s job or not,” he commented. Carlo Ancelotti, coach of Real Madrid, about the inclusion of this new tool. “I don’t remember the last time these people (the IFAB) had a fantastic idea, if they ever had one,” he said. Jürgen KloppLiverpool manager.
However, the decision on this new element has not been made and everything is still under study. Will the blue card be a solution to the behavior of the players? Or will it remain a mere proposal as happened with the green card to benefit Fair Play? The truth is that, once again, it is clear that in football not everything has been invented and there is still a long way to go.
