Sin-bin proposed for 'marked improvement' in discipline

The game's rulemakers will be asked to consider imposing sin-bins for yellow-card offenders later this month. The proposal is to be put to the International FA Board (Ifab) meeting in Belfast on 28 February for discussion – with the hope that they may authorise an experiment.

The Irish Football Association is behind the plan and are submitting the item for discussion to the Ifab meeting, which is made up of representatives of the four home associations and Fifa, the world game's governing body. The Irish FA president, Raymond Kennedy, said: "The idea is that when someone gets a card from the referee they would be sent to a sin-bin for a period of time, as they are in rugby. If their team is stupid enough to get another during that period they would be down to nine men. It would certainly have a marked improvement on discipline on the field."

Kennedy pointed out that if a player is suspended for breaching the limit of yellow cards then it is a team he has not played against who receive the benefit. He added: "We feel that with yellow cards it is another team that gets the benefit. We believe the team that the offence has been committed against should be the one that draws the benefit from the punishment."

He said the Irish FA would be drawing up a formal proposal to be submitted to Ifab. "Hopefully they may put this to the test in the way they do with other things," he added. The home nations each have one vote on the Ifab and Fifa have four.

The Scottish Football Association is proposing to allow a fourth substitution to be made if a match goes to extra-time. Fifa's proposals include extending the half-time break from a maximum of 15 to 20 minutes. The governing body will also push for agreement on Uefa president Michel Platini's scheme for two extra assistant referees – one behind each goal-line to adjudicate on disputed goals.