Who knows if sooner or later we will see referees issuing black cards on our football fields. For now, we are only used to yellow and red cards, but this chromatic innovation, which is currently used exclusively in Romania, is not excluded. This is because the Romanian Football Federation has decided to take measures in a completely new way to punish not only footballers, but spectators and also parents of children playing during matches. The new card, for now, will be made available to referees during youth sector matches.
Where will the black cardboard be applied?
The measure is full of potential, so in addition to punishing genuine situations on the field, Romania aims to send a strong signal to educate those who do not maintain an appropriate attitude towards children's sports activity. The new rules, approved on September 11, will be applied immediately in youth championships from the Under 7 to Under 16 age groups. An unprecedented disciplinary innovation, which, according to the leaders of the Romanian federation, should enable the youngest to play in a healthy environment, free from undue pressure, bad examples and, in the worst case, insults, insults, intimidation and unacceptable behavior from adults and parents. The regulation is clear: "Children should not become victims of the ambitions, pressures or frustrations of adults in the stands."
How will disciplinary action work?
In the event of situations that are on the verge of being acceptable, the referee, using the signals of his collaborators, can stop the game and, initially, ask the coaches to intervene to calm the fans. The second step, in case the incidents are repeated, is to suspend the match for ten minutes, returning the teams to the locker rooms. If this “warning” does not serve any purpose, then a black card would be issued and the match would end prematurely. Situations that can be punished with this new card include insults, excessive pressure, verbal or physical aggression towards children, coaches, referees or other parents.
This innovation is not currently part of UEFA and FIFA's plans and, for this reason, will only appear in Romania, but it is not excluded that it could serve as a starting point for other championships. Unfortunately, a certain type of situation also occurs in Italy and especially in youth tournaments, where we often witness parents out of control.
How many and what are the cards in the world of football
But, apart from the black card, what other cards do we know in the world of football? The universal and official ones are first of all the yellow and red cards, used everywhere. Then there are a series of other colors, used experimentally or in limited contexts: the white card is used to reward a gesture of “fair play” (in women's football in Portugal), the blue card serves for protests or tactical fouls (on trial in the lower and youth categories, as well as in futsal), while the green and blue cards have an educational and temporary function in the youth categories and in futsal and 8-a-side football.
