England Managers to Be Issued Cards, Verbal Warnings Under New Misconduct Rules
Managers from England's top four tiers will be subject to yellow and red cards from next season due to a new disciplinary scheme that seeks to curb unbecoming touchline behavior.
The Premier League, as well as the Championship, League One and League Two, will see their managers penalized for infractions during the season, with the FA Cup and Carabao Cup also set for the same stipulations as part of a pilot program implemented by the International Football Association Board (IFAB).
Top-flight coaches will be verbally warned instead of being physically shown cards, but they will be subject to the new rules when they work with their teams in domestic cup competitions.
Managers will be shown yellow cards for the following: inappropriate language, making gestures towards match officials in an attempt to influence their decisions, kicking or throwing water bottles, sarcastic clapping, and gesturing for a card.
Violent conduct, spitting and stopping the opponent from restarting play will result in a red card for offenders.
Managers who accumulate four yellow cards will be hit with a one-match ban, while eight yellows will earn them a two-match ban and 12 will result in a three-match ban. Accumulation of 16 yellows will see a manager taken before an FA disciplinary panel at Wembley where he can be fined if it's deemed necessary.
“If the behavior of any one of the members on the bench, usually led by the manager, gets to the level where it’s not appropriate, as like a caution on the pitch, the referee will issue a yellow card to the bench,” Shaun Harvey, the EFL chief executive, said.
“If the behavior continues in a manner that he doesn’t feel appropriate – effectively like a totting up of a number of fouls – then there’s the opportunity for a second yellow card to be issued at which stage the manager leaves the bench area. If there’s a serious incident deemed by the match official, the manager will be shown a red card and go to the stands. It will hopefully improve behavior in the technical areas.”
The National Leagues and Checkatrade Trophy are also poised to implement said rules.
