The rules of soccer have changed. The International Football Association Board, the body that orders and protects the rules of the sport, has introduced the blue card, which will be used alongside yellow and red cards, as a tool for referees to penalize players.
According to a report from The Telegraph, the rule is scheduled to be announced Friday by the sports institution. According to the report, a blue card will mean that the penalized player's team will play 10 minutes with one fewer player, similar to a penalty box in hockey.
A blue card will be used when a player commits a foul that does not merit a red card but deserves some type of penalty with direct effects on the athlete's team. It will be used for fouls that interrupt a play that could have resulted in a goal. Two blue cards will be equivalent to one red card.
According to The Telegraph, the Football Association of Wales plans to use blue cards for a trial period in its games this season. However, other high-profile leagues will have to wait to see this new refereeing tool in action. Testing in the world's biggest leagues could begin in summer, according to the report.
Per The Telegraph, UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin is reluctant to apply this new rule, so its implementation in the near future is in question.
At the moment, the internet also seems quite divided on the new rule. Many users on X have stated that they are against it.
