LIKE IT OR NOT.SIN BINS WORK!

TALK of blue cards and sin bins have dominated the mainstream national media in recent weeks with reports suggesting both could be introduced at football's highest echelons in the near future.

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This would result in referees being permitted to send players off for 10 minutes following dissent or cynical fouls-naturally prompting heated debate among top players, managers and pundits who already have their tails in a spin with the controversies over VAR.

Of course, we have already had sin bins in operation at Steps 5 and 6 of the National League System, and in grassroots football, for the past five seasons, designed to specifically stamp out dissent.

So I approached some match officials to get their feedback on how the policy has worked so far.

My first port of call was a pretty significant one. Starting his career in the Northern Premier League, Keith Hackett went onto become one of the top referees in world football before retiring from the Premier League ranks in 1994.

Now president of the Northern Counties East League and Penistone C hurch FC, Hackett told me: "Sin bins are definitely a deterrent. Although there are many opportunities for referees to use this sanction but often they don't.

"Match officials allow their performances at times to be undermined by not delivering the punishment when it would be to their own benefit and that of the game. A sin bin ruling not only penalises the individual but also the whole team.