It's called the triple punishment. When a goalkeeper or defender brings down an attacking player in the box, and is punished with a red card, a penalty, and a ban for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity. It has been a subject of debate for a long time, with most thinking that the law is overly harsh especially in cases where the defending player is genuinely going for the ball.
It appears that the International Football Association Board, or IFAB, has listened and that is all about to change this summer.
The International Football Association Board met last week in Cardiff to discuss future changes to the laws of the game. The committee, which comprises four members of FIFA and the heads of each British FA, spoke about the future testing of video technology, the possibility of "sin bins" and fourth substitutions in extra time.
But the most substantial change that was accomplished during the meeting was the change made to the law regarding the denial of a clear goal-scoring opportunity.
Players shall now be cautioned with a yellow card instead of a red except when the player is found guilty of:
- Pushing, pulling, holding
- Not attempting to play the ball, or where there is no possibility to play the ball
- The foul is worthy of a red card regardless of the situation (violent conduct etc.)
The law will be applied starting June 1 and will be in use for Euro 2016 and the Copa America Centenario. There will be a two-year trial period to ensure that the law is working as intended.