![](\"https:\/\/cdn.images.express.co.uk\/img\/dynamic\/67\/590x\/secondary\/5093810.jpg?r=1701371854359\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The sin-bin at Leeds Rhinos home games used to be sponsored by West Yorkshire Police. It was a neat piece of tongue-in-cheek community promotion by the boys in blue – even if they stopped short of going the whole hog and putting bars up to put prop forwards behind.<\/p>\n
Football being the commercial animal it is, there will be marketing departments rubbing their hands at the new sponsorship opportunities opened up by IFAB\u2019s decision to bring the sin-bin in next season. It is though in every other respect a mistake.<\/p>\n
The premise of improving player behaviour towards officials is laudable – heaven knows football with its culture of complaint and intimidation needs it – but the sin-bin is the wrong tool to use to reach that goal.<\/p>\n
The theory goes that players will think twice before haranguing the referee over a decision if they know a ten-minute spell on the sideline awaits but the rule-makers do not seem to have considered the unintended consequences. In professional football it is always best to assume the worst of human nature.<\/p>\n
Teams reduced temporarily to ten men – well maybe not Tottenham, but most non-Postecoglou teams – will circle the wagons, hold on to what they have and try to keep their opponents at bay with a stacked defence.<\/p>\n
They will waste time any which way possible to navigate their way through the ten minutes until they are back up to a full complement again. In what sense would that be a positive move for the game?<\/p>\n
IFAB think they are onto a winner with sin-bins on the evidence of trials in grass-roots football but they are reckoning without the cynicism and cunning which pervade the pro game.<\/p>\n
![](\"https:\/\/cdn.images.express.co.uk\/img\/dynamic\/67\/590x\/secondary\/5093824.jpg?r=1701371854455\")
<\/p>\n
Before you know it Evangelos Marinakis will be demanding Nottingham Forest hire a specialist sin-bin coach to \u2018manage\u2019 the minutes as effectively as possible. A better idea would be to stick with a yellow card deterrent for dissent but to prosecute offenders with an automatic one-game suspension for the next match.<\/p>\n
No totting up. One strike and you\u2019re out. Mouth off and you clear off. In that way players are punished more harshly than at present – and, with 90 minutes missed rather than ten, more harshly than under a sin-bin system – but crucially games aren\u2019t disfigured by ten versus 11 scenarios.<\/p>\n
And what of the inevitable sin-bin creep if it was brought in? While it is only intended to cover dissent and specific tactical fouls next season, as sure as a bad night for Andre Onana night follows a good one there will inevitably be an extension of the sin-bin\u2019s remit – as has happened with VAR.<\/p>\n
The rule-makers won\u2019t be able to help themselves. Before long, other offences will be tossed into the sin-bin basket and the shape of the game will be changed again.<\/p>\n
This has happened in rugby union where the original target – eradicating cynical ball-killing – has been allowed to spread so that the ten-minute sanction has become a catch-all naughty step.<\/p>\n
There is nothing intrinsically wrong with football borrowing from other sports and rugby, in general, is a good place in terms of referee respect. IFAB\u2019s other experiment to zone off the official, rugby-style, to all players other than the team captain in flashpoint situations – is a good one. As might marching whining players back ten metres be for backchat.<\/p>\n
But the sin-bin, for all the good intentions to make life better for put-upon referees, should remain a no-go zone for football.<\/p>\n
Don’t miss… <\/strong>
Newcastle ‘absolutely robbed’ as Jenas goes on rant after PSG penalty[LATEST] <\/strong>
Ally McCoist brutally scolds ‘nonsense’ penalty as Newcastle heartbroken vs PSG[LATEST] <\/strong>
Wolves boss Gary O’Neil fumes as ref ‘admitted mistake’ after more VAR drama[LATEST] <\/strong><\/p>\n\n