Soccer’s rule-making body, the International Football Association Board (IFAB), is to hold preliminary discussions at its next meeting on the use of sin bins and video replays to help referees, world soccer’s governing body FIFA said on Monday.
FIFA emphasized that both proposals were included for discussion only and could be submitted for further examinations to the IFAB’s two new advisory panels.
The items were “not yet at the stage of being considered... for decision in terms of alterations to the existing laws of the game,” FIFA said.
The controversial “triple punishment,” where a player concedes a penalty, is sent off and then has to serve an automatic suspension, will also be on the agenda as a discussion item at the meeting in Zurich, Switzerland, on March 1.
The IFAB is also set to decide whether to allow male players to use headgear on religious grounds and permit so-called “rolling substitutions” in amateur and recreational matches.
These would allow players who had been substituted to return to the pitch later in the match, a move designed to bring greater flexibility and maintain interest in grass-roots soccer.
FIFA president Sepp Blatter and his UEFA counterpart, Michel Platini, have both advocated the use of sin bins, in which players would sit out for five to 10 minutes for certain offenses.
The inclusion of video replays, which are used in other sports such as rugby union and cricket, on the agenda is something of a surprise, though, as soccer has in general been wary of using any form of technology to help match officials.
It took years of debate for the sport to accept the use of goal-line technology, which was finally approved in 2012 after a series of controversies where goals were shown to have been wrongly disallowed because officials had not seen the ball cross the line.
Platini remained opposed to goal-line technology all along, saying it would open the way for the use of other technology, and said in August last year that FIFA had opened a “Pandora’s box” of technology by allowing it.
The IFAB has recently been reformed and two new advisory panels — one representing players and coaches, and the other representing referees — are to examine the proposed changes and provide suggestions to the eight-man board.
The new structure is expected to give the IFAB more freedom to experiment with proposed changes.
The use of headgear for men appears set to be approved following a two-year trial period. Female Muslim players were given permission to wear headscarves two years ago.
“After a two-year pilot, there is no indication as to why the wearing of head covers should be prohibited, as long as their design restrictions are respected as defined in the pilot,” a proposed amendment says. “Furthermore, the male football community has also raised the need for male players to be permitted to wear head covers, as it is considered discriminatory.”
OUT AGAINST INDONESIA: Taiwan reached the semi-finals at the tournament for the first time by defeating Denmark, with Chou Tien-chen beating Viktor Axelsen Taiwan yesterday crashed out of the Thomas Cup team competition in Chengdu, China, but achieved their best result at the top-tier badminton event by reaching the semi-finals. Indonesia were too good in the semis, winning 3-0 to advance to today’s final against China, who eliminated Malaysia 3-1. In the opening singles of the men’s team clash at the Hi-Tech Zone Sports Center Gymnasium 2, Anthony Ginting defeated Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen 21-18, 21-19 in 51 minutes, which put a huge hole in Taiwan’s aspirations to perhaps even make the final. In the men’s doubles, Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Ardianto downed Lee Yang and Wang
NO DOUBT: Spurs star Wembanyama was unanimously selected as NBA Rookie of the Year, winning all 99 votes to become the first Frenchman to capture the honor The Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night produced a dominant defensive display to seize a commanding 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven playoff series against the Denver Nuggets with a 106-80 road victory. The third-seeded Timberwolves harassed Denver relentlessly to claim a second straight win over the NBA champions as the series heads back to Minneapolis for Game 3 on Friday. Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards scored 27 points apiece, but the star of the show was Minnesota’s suffocating defensive effort, which knocked Denver out of their stride almost from the tip-off. The Timberwolves finished with 11 steals and 12 blocks, in sharp contrast to
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek on Saturday came through “the most intense and crazy final” she has ever contested to avenge her loss to Aryna Sabalenka in last year’s Madrid Open final with a grueling three hour, 11 minute victory in the Spanish capital. Coming back from 1-3 down in the decider and saving three match points in total, Swiatek claimed a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (9/7) victory to secure the Madrid Open trophy for the first time. “Well, who is going to say now that women’s tennis is boring, right?” Swiatek said. Swiatek, who picked up the 20th title of her career, and ninth at
One of Malaysia’s top soccer clubs has pulled out of today’s season-opening Charity Shield after a spate of assaults, including an acid attack, on players in the country. It leaves the kickoff of Malaysia’s season this weekend under a cloud following the unprecedented acts of violence against players, which have left the country shocked and angry. Authorities said they have imposed tighter security, but Selangor said that they would not play in the showpiece curtain-raiser against Malaysian Super League champions Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) citing “a series of criminal incidents and recent threats.” Selangor and Malaysia winger Faisal Halim is in intensive care