So, have sin-bins been a ‘positive step for grassroots football’ in 2019/20?

A Lyndhurst player is booked during this season's Hampshire Premier League match at Paulsgrove. The 2019/20 season was the first in which referees in the Wessex League and HPL can send a player to a 10-minute sin-bin for dissent. Picture: Duncan ShepherdA Lyndhurst player is booked during this season's Hampshire Premier League match at Paulsgrove. The 2019/20 season was the first in which referees in the Wessex League and HPL can send a player to a 10-minute sin-bin for dissent. Picture: Duncan Shepherd
A Lyndhurst player is booked during this season's Hampshire Premier League match at Paulsgrove. The 2019/20 season was the first in which referees in the Wessex League and HPL can send a player to a 10-minute sin-bin for dissent. Picture: Duncan Shepherd | JPIMedia
The chief executive of the Football Association last summer called it a ‘positive step for grassroots football’.

Mark Bullingham was speaking after the governing body announced it was bringing in sin-bins across grassroots football up to level 5.

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If a player was guilty of dissent - either via his words or actions - he would now be ordered off the pitch to sit or stand on the sidelines for 10 minutes.

That meant in 2019/20 the likes of the Wessex League (levels 5-6) and Hampshire Premier League (levels 6-7) would use the same system that the FA first trialled in 2017/18 before extending its usage to a total of 31 leagues for the following campaign.

From the start of 2019/20, sin bins applied for tier three and below in women's football.

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Talking about sin-bins, Bullingham added: ‘They allow referees to address incidents of dissent quickly and effectively.

‘Dissent is a key part of the game that needs to be tackled and our pilot phase has proved that sin bins work well.

‘The trial showed a huge impact on behaviour that we want to roll out to the whole game and make it more enjoyable for everyone.’

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In addition, the FA’s own website stated: ‘By reducing dissent, we hope to improve the retention of referees while improving the image of the game.’

Results from the trial period showed a 38 per cent total reduction in incidents of dissent across all leagues.

The initiative generated positive feedback from those involved with 72% of players, 77% of managers and coaches and 84% of referees saying they wanted temporary dismissals to continue after the trial.

But have sin-bins been welcomed in our local leagues?

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The News asked this region’s five Wessex League managers, and a couple from the Hampshire Premier League.

AFC Portchester manager Mick Catlin

‘There has been a mixed reaction to the introduction of sin-bins in our league.

‘It has certainly been a learning curve for clubs, players and referees alike.

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'In some ways it has improved our discipline with regards to dissent where we have picked up less bookings.

'Personally I don't think sin-bins are good for the game.

'Some referees use it as a cover for their mistakes.

'Good referees use it as a last resort, which is what I believe it was intended for.

'People will look at the reduced number of bookings for dissent at the end of the season and automatically judge it as a success.

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'When you have players sin-binned it does make you think about how to react on the field.

'Generally for the 10 minutes we tend to get more players behind the ball.

'It all depends on where you are in the game whether you are winning, losing or drawing.

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'Timekeeping is an issue because the onus is on the referee to work out when the ten minutes are up.

'It has been a learning curve for all.'

Fareham Town manager Pete Stiles

'Sin-bins are a good idea in theory but I don't think it has been thought through properly.

'As a result, it hasn't been used as well as it could be.

'Players are still getting booked for offences I would regard as dissent and therefore the sin-bin could be used.

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'We had a player booked recently for kicking the ball away where I would regard that as dissent.

'I don't think referees themselves are clear about it.

'I don't think the whole thing has been thought through well enough.'

Horndean manager Michael Birmingham

'I can understand the reasons they have introduced sin-bins but I don't agree with them.

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'Sin-bins should be used in youth football to teach the youngsters the right way.

'Football is an easy game and referees have the hardest job.

'Sin-bins just complicate things even further for them.

'Just like VAR, it hasn't been thought through.

'Football is a passionate game and I accept discipline needs improving, but I don't think this helps.'

Baffins Milton Rovers manager Steve Leigh

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'We have only had two players sin-binned and we don't go into games thinking about it.

'It hasn't been a huge problem for us - we tend to go out and concentrate on the football.

'I do think that referees do need to use their common sense on occasions.

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'Sometimes they need to understand the players’ frustrations.'

US Portsmouth manager Glenn Turnbull

‘They’re ok, I don’t really think they were a big positive or a big negative.

‘We’ve only had four or five. In one game early in the season we actually played better with 10 men! It made us refocus a bit more.

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‘One game, we had a case of the wrong player being sent to the sin bin. The referee heard a comment and sent Elliott (Turnbull) to the sin bin as he was the nearest player to him!

‘That was at Romsey and we did concede while Elliott was off the pitch, but generally I don’t think it had an impact on matches.

‘But if it stops referees having to fill out so many forms, it’s a positive thing.

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‘A stranger rule than bringing in the sin bins, for me anyway, was for the first time the manager and the captain had to visit the referee’s dressing room an hour before kick off.

‘I get the manager going there to hand in the team sheet, but I don’t see why the captain has to miss part of the warm-up.

‘In 30 league games, the talk never varied - there were handshakes, and a minute and a half later more handshakes and you walked out.

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‘The referee would say something like ‘if you treat me with respect, I’ll treat you with respect’, he’d ask ‘any questions?’, we’d say ‘no’ - and that was it.

‘It was all procedural rhetoric.’

Hayling United boss Dan Bishop

‘To be honest I’ve barely noticed it.

‘I don’t think we’ve had one first teamer put in the sin-bin, but we’ve had a few opponents end up there.

‘My son Jack was the first one we had, playing for the reserves against Petersfield - that annoyed me!

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‘We’ve been beating a few sides comfortably and one of their players has ended up in the sin bin through frustration.

‘My view is this - you know the rules, more fool you if you end up in it.

‘Perhaps it will take another season or so for players to realise they are only mugging themselves off if they end up there.

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‘If it ends up making the ref’s job a bit easier, and there’s more respect there, they give the ref a bit more space, that’s good.

‘Our discipline has been good this season - we’ve had half the number of cards and suspensions we did last year. I don’t know the exact number, but we had a pat on the back from the chairman, I know that!’

Asked for his views on the standard of HPL officials, Bishop added: ‘There’s been some good ones and some not so good ones - I’ll leave it at that. But I’m a terrible referee myself, so I’m just grateful they do it.

Paulsgrove boss Wayne Grant

‘I don’t like them if I’m being honest.

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‘We only had one player sin binned, so it didn’t really affect us.

‘It seems you’re asking for injuries - players are warmed up, then they’re sitting down for 10 minutes, and then coming back on … there’s a chance you’re going to get pulled muscles.

‘Dissent was always a yellow card offence, I don’t see why they had to change it. The refs have got enough to deal with as it is without them having to check on whether 10 minutes is up for a player in the sin bin.’