The Football Association has confirmed that temporary dismissals for dissent, more commonly known as ‘sin bins’, will be introduced in the Midland League First Division for 2019-20.
Last season, a trial of temporary dismissals was rolled out across 31 grassroots leagues in accordance with the law-making body, IFAB.
The FA believe that the trial was “reasonably successful”, so has been extended this season to cover all leagues at step five and below to give them a wider spectrum to analyse.
It means that temporary dismissals will be effective for Hinckley AFC in Midland Football League, County FA, FA Vase and Under 18s matches in 2019-20.
Should a referee decide to caution a player for dissent, he will show a yellow card and point to the touchline. The sin bin will last for ten minutes of playing time.
They have issued the following guidelines on how the system will function:
- The sin bin period will last for ten minutes of actual playing time, starting from the moment play restarts after a player has left the pitch and completing once the referee has decided the time has elapsed. Should ‘timewasting’ occur, it is at the discretion of the referee how long he takes stoppages into account as regards the playing time.
- A sin binned player can return to the field of play after the ten minute period is complete or can be substituted by the Manager after the same period of time.
- A player who has served his ten minutes will be waved back onto the field of play by the officials whilst the game is active (the same as any player who has been off for an injury).
- In the case of a goalkeeper being sin binned, an outfield player must take over his position for the ten minute period. On completing his sin bin period, the goalkeeper may re-enter the field of play as an outfield player, until which time there is a stoppage in play enabling him to change position, or wait for a stoppage in play before re-entering and taking the goalkeeping position. (Should a goalkeeper re-enter as an outfield player, clubs will not be penalised for using numbered shirts not on the official team list)
- Should any player who is temporarily dismissed commit any cautionable offence whilst serving the ten minute period, they will be dismissed from field of play and may not be substituted.
- Should any player who has served a sin bin period and has re-joined the match be shown a further yellow card for any other offence, that player may still continue on the pitch or be substituted.
- The match officials will be the sole administrators of the sin bin time period.
- There is no allocated sin bin area, players will be asked to sit in the technical area, but are allowed to warm-up during the ten minute period. (A sin binned player will not contravene the maximum allowed capacity of the technical area whilst in the sin bin).
- A player receiving two yellow cards for dissent in the same game will NOT be allowed to re-enter the field of play again for the remainder of the game. However the Manager will be allowed to put on a substitute after the ten minutes has elapsed.
- Yellow cards for dissent will be reported to the County FA and will be used in the ‘Totting Up’ process for individual players and clubs, in regards to five-card and ten-card sanctions.
- In FA competitions, two yellow cards for dissent in the same competition will result in a one match ban for the individual.
- A player receiving one dissent yellow card in any game will NOT receive a £10 administration fine from the County FA, however a player who receives two dissent yellows in a game will be fined £25 as per any other two yellow card offence fine.
- If a team has five or more players in the sin bin at any one time, therefore falling below the seven-player threshold, the match will continue if the players are able to return to the game after their sin bin periods are complete.
