Ange on sin-bin idea: Refs should stop interfering

Ange on sin-bin idea: Refs should stop interfering

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou has urged football’s lawmakers to scrap plans to introduce sin-bins and stop making unnecessary changes that could have a detrimental effect on the game.

In a bid to tackle growing dissent in the game, the International Football Association Board (IFAB) — football’s rule‑making body — announced on Tuesday that sin‑bins would be trialled at “higher levels” after grassroots tests showed promising results.

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Temporary dismissals have been tested in English football across 31 grassroots leagues since 2019, with players receiving a yellow card and then forced to sit out 10 minutes of a match. The Football Association claims it delivered a 38% reduction in dissent.

FA chief executive Mark Bullingham has suggested sin-bins could be trialled in the Women’s Super League and the FA Cup next season.

IFAB will discuss in March the extent to which sin-bins will be used but Tottenham manager Postecoglou voiced his opposition to the move, having previously urged lawmakers to scrap VAR due to issues with implementation.

“Bin it mate, bin the whole idea,” Postecoglou told a news conference on Friday.

“Just forget about it. I don’t know why they [IFAB] keep interjecting themselves into the game. There’s not that much wrong with the game. I think once they throw an idea like that out, it usually means they’ve already tested the waters.