Soccer fans are familiar with the two conventional colored cards, namely the yellow and the red card. The red card is used for serious offenses, while the yellow is used for minor ones. The introduction of these has revolutionized the game by bringing discipline among the players, and those sitting in the dugout.
But soccer is a very dynamic game. It has come a long way and the game has changed a lot. The teams have found new ways to cause disruptions, and the current system is unfit for punishing them. There is a need to devise newer methods to curb indiscipline.
The IFAB has agreed to the trial of the orange Card in the Premier League
The International Football Association Board in its annual business meeting in London has put forward the proposal of trying out the orange card in the Premier League, as early as the beginning of the 2024/25 season. The introduction of the Orange Card demonstrates the changing picture of the game.
The Orange Card also brings with it, the concept of ‘sin-bins’, used in the game of rugby. According to The Telegraph, If a player is shown an orange card, that means he/she has to spend 10 minutes off the field. This is similar to Rugby, where a player can be forced off the field for 10 minutes to stay in the sin-bin areas, for cynical fouls.
The sin bins have been very effective in controlling dissent at the grassroots levels, and now they have been given a wider field of usage. The introduction of the orange card is also expected to curb ‘tactical fouls’.
🚨🟧 | The International Football Association Board has officially approved the trial of new ‘orange card’ in football. pic.twitter.com/Kigr3uf7QY
— SPORTbible (@sportbible) November 28, 2023
A tactical foul could be anything like a gentle nudge to a player, who’s through on goal, but far from the opposition penalty box. Before, the introduction of the orange card, such offenses would have been judged too big for a red card, and hence the referee would produce a yellow card.
The yellow card, however, would not do justice to the seriousness of the crime. The Orange card has been introduced precisely to bridge this gap between a minor and a major offense.
Innovations in soccer in recent times
The changing pace of the game has made it necessary to bring changes to it. The introduction of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) was met with scrutiny. But it has helped to bring some transparency to the game.
The World Cup in Qatar also brought with it, some interesting changes. The high-tech ball, Al Rihla which had sensors inside it gave real-time data to VAR officials. Also, the Semi-Automated offside technology has helped the VAR officials to make correct offside calls.
Premier League clubs have agreed in principle to introduce Video Assistant Referees (VAR) to the competition in the 2019/20 season
More: https://t.co/7quBY0hQ7f pic.twitter.com/HSBDrgXhQD
— Premier League (@premierleague) November 15, 2018
Also, steps were taken to curb the wastage of time in the games. So, every time the ball went out due to injuries, substitutions, etc., the time was added at the end of the stoppage time. That’s why we saw matches being extended by more than 100 minutes.
The IFAB has also made it clear that it proposes to introduce much more stringent measures to eliminate time wasting during games. It is committed to making the game more transparent and enjoyable. And the feeling is that the introduction of the orange card is just the beginning.