Sin-bins could be introduced in football as early as next month

The International Football Association Board [Ifab] will consider the possibility of introducing sin-bins for yellow card offences in football at their annual meeting in March.

Ifab, who govern the rules of the game, will meet to discuss allowing individual football associations to make changes to rules in "youth, veteran, disability and grassroots football" for yellow card offences following tests across Uefa development competitions over the last three years.

10-minute sin-bins were introduced to rugby union in 2001, with football bosses eager to learn if it can have similar success in their game in efforts to curb growing discipline issues.

Football's lawmakers will vote on the proposal during their meeting on 3 March and if accepted, sin-bins could become part of the professional game in the next three years. BBC Sport claim the proposals could be implemented at amateur and junior level with immediate effect if given the go-ahead.

Items also up for discussion will be the number of substitutions, following suggestions of a fourth sub being permitted when games progress into extra-time. Ifab will also explore the possibility of implementing rules whereby team captains are the only people permitted to talk to the match official.

A statement read: "The AGM will be asked to extend the "Modifications" section of the Laws of the Game to give national football associations more freedom and responsibility to modify the organisational Laws, e.g. number of substitutions and length of play, to assist with the development of their domestic football by promoting and encouraging more people to take part in the game.

"National football associations will be permitted to decide at which levels the modifications are applied in their domestic football, except for competitions involving the first team of clubs in the top league and senior 'A' international teams.

"Additionally, as part of "Modifications", the proposal to allow temporary dismissals (sin bins) in youth, veterans, disability and grassroots football for yellow card offences will be considered following tests in Uefa's development competitions over the last three years."

A number of the items to be discussed come from a series of proposals made by Fifa's recently- appointed technical director Marco van Basten in January.