Sin bins coming to grassroots football from this season!

Rugby-style sin bins are to be introduced at all levels of grassroots football this season, allowing referees to send players off for dissent.

The FA has announced the 10-minute long dismissals will apply across dozens of leagues in 2019-20, including youth, veterans, and disabilities competitions - plus the women's game.

Over the past two years the system has been on trial in 31 leagues, with 25 of them said to have seen an overall reduction in dissent as a result - and 84% of referees, 77% of managers and coaches, and 72% of players were in favour of it being brought in permanently.

Sin bins will not replace standard-issue yellow and red cards, with cautions to continue to be issued for unsporting behaviour and foul play.

Yellow cards will also be used to indicate a sin bin, but will be complemented by the referee clearly pointing with both arms to the sidelines.

Players who are placed in the sin bin will not be allowed to be involved in the match at all for 10 minutes, including being substituted off for a teammate on the bench.

Being sent to the sin bin for a second time during a match will mean the player is not allowed to return to the field, but they will be able to be replaced by a substitute after 10 minutes.

FA chief executive Mark Bullingham said: "Dissent is a key part of the game that needs to be tackled, and our pilot phase has proved that sin bins work well.

"They allow referees to address incidents of dissent quickly and effectively. The trial showed a huge impact on behaviour that we want to roll out to the whole game and make it more enjoyable for everyone."

However, there are currently no plans for sin bins to be introduced at professional level, meaning they will remain absent from the Premier League, English Football League and Women's Super League.

Any decision to bring sin bins into professional football would be made by the International Football Association Board, which is responsible for agreeing standardised laws for international competition.

Sin bins will apply up to tier five of the National League system, and tier three and below in women's football.