Sin Bins: Encouraging Respect and Fair Play In Grassroots Football

In March 2017, the International Football Association Board (IFAB) gave all National Associations the ability to implement Temporary Dismissals – more commonly known as sin bins – at the grassroots level of the game. We chose to focus on matters of dissent to improve the match day experience and in support of the Respect programme.

In 2016/17 season there were over 73,000 cautions for dissent – making up around 25% of all cautions. With this in mind, we decided to pilot sin bins across all types of the game at Step 5 and below of the National League System and Tier 3 and below of the Women’s game in a bid to reduce levels of dissent. In total, 31 leagues have used the system over the past two seasons.

During this period, we saw a 38% reduction in dissent across the selected leagues. It also showed a reduction on dismissals for receiving a second caution in a game and abusive language. A survey carried out to obtain feedback from around 1,400 users showed that:

• 72% of players wanted to continue with sin bins
• 77% of managers/coaches wanted to continue with sin bins
• 84% of referees wanted to continue with sin bins

The pilot has shown that participant behaviour/match day experience has improved. It also showed players self-policing the game to prevent their colleagues from getting into trouble.

This is not a matter for The FA as IFAB only permits the use of Sin Bins at grassroots level. We initially trialled sin bins across various leagues at Step 7 and below, and after a successful trial period we are now rolling it out across all leagues at grassroots level, including at youth level.

Dissent – by word or by action – which is a behavioural matter rather than a football matter. By reducing dissent, we hope to improve the retention of referees while improving the image of the game.

Dissent can fall into two categories, either via word or action in the opinion of the referee.

All cautions for dissent must be dealt with by the sin bin process. The referee will signal this by issuing a yellow card in the normal way and pointing to the touchline where the player must go. It can only be administered to active players who are participating.

Substitutes or substituted players will be cautioned for dissent, as per the ‘usual’ process that currently applies across football. Technical area occupants can also be shown red and yellow cards as per the Laws of the Game – but this is separate to the sin bin process.

10 minutes in adult football and eight minutes in youth football.

The referee will monitor these issues simultaneously. Our research of over 135,000 matches showed that less than 1% of matches have more than three cautions for dissent. The chances of those occurring in the same 10-minute period are remote. However, by following the correct caution procedure, the referee can manage multiple players in the sin bin.

There isn’t a physical sin bin. In grounds where there are technical areas, the player in question must go to their team’s technical area. Elsewhere, players must leave the pitch and watch from the touchline with other non-playing staff.

There isn’t a physical sin bin. In grounds where there are technical areas, the player in question must go to their team’s technical area. Elsewhere, players must leave the pitch and watch from the touchline with other non-playing staff.

Yes, sin binned players can leave the sin bin area to warm up.

The player would receive another yellow card, if serious a red card. The player would no longer be able to play and cannot be replaced, therefore the team playing with one less player. 

The player cannot return to play until there is a stoppage of play. 

Goalkeepers are covered under the same law as other players and can go into the sin bin.

Yes, at the end of the sin bin time, a substitute can take their place rather than the player in question returning to the pitch, providing they have not used all of their allocated substitutions.

A player can only receive a sin bin if their first yellow card was for dissent, a second yellow card results in a send off (red card). 

Yes the caution tally would include any sin bin offence

Players will be required to pay the administration fee for going into the sin bin as per a standard yellow card offence. We want to encourage better behaviour and a simplified process for everyone involved this process now aligns with the FA disciplinary process.