Referee Abuse In Soccer Has Apparently Gotten So Bad They Might Try Out 'Sin Bins'

Referee abuse has become a big part of soccer in recent years. Almost as much as faking injuries and hooliganism have. But some leagues are trying to change that. 'With what?' you may be asking. Well, they decided not to reinvent the wheel and have looked to implement a little something from the world of hockey: sin bins.

Players berating refs has gotten so bad that the International Football Advisory Board has approved some new rules. These allow for temporary dismissals from matches giving officials a new option instead of digging out a red card and leaving a team shorthanded for the duration.

According to The Athletic, these new rules can be implemented during the 2024-25 season. Furthermore, it reported that the MLS could be one of the first top-flight leagues to give this a go. That's because the MLS typically gets its season underway sometime in February.

By the way, in case you're not familiar with the concept behind a sin bin, or penalty box, let's allow legendary Charlestown Chiefs netminder Denis Lemieux a few moments to explain.

Alright, I'll be honest, I just wanted an excuse to use that clip.

It'll be interesting to see how this works out but I think it's good. Soccer needs a penalty box.

Maybe they'll start throwing floppers in there too That way they can feel a little bit of that shame that Denis was talking about. That would be nice.

Surely, if they are implemented they'll change the game in some capacity and that could make things interesting as well.

Maybe a brief powerplay would even help juice up the offense a little bit. I think we could all get behind that.

Follow on X: @Matt_Reigle