The Romanian Football Federation (FRF) has just issued new regulations to limit excessive behavior of parents and fans in youth tournaments, including the first black card to end a match if this situation is not controlled.
According to the process approved by FRF on September 11, black cards will be used in tournaments from U7 to U16. Unlike yellow cards and red cards for players, black cards are directed at the behavior of people in the stands.
The handling process includes 3 steps. When parents or fans are found to have words or actions that put pressure or insult those participating in the match, the referee will request a temporary suspension of the match for the coaching staff to work with those involved. If the stadium has a loudspeaker system, the organizers can also issue a notice reminding the audience.
If the behavior does not stop, the referee will stop the match for 10 minutes and ask the two teams to return to the locker room. During this time, the coaches continue to exchange with the group of parents or troublemakers to solve the problem.
In case the excessive situation still recurs after the match resumes, the referee will pull out a black card and declare the match over. This means the match will not continue that day.
FRF said the new regulation aims to protect young players from unnecessary pressure from adults in the stands. The Romanian Football Federation emphasized that children should not become victims of "ambition, pressure or disappointment" from parents and fans themselves.
According to AS newspaper, FRF is currently the first Football Federation to apply a card specifically for inappropriate behavior of spectators. However, the black card is only applied in the Romanian youth football system and is not yet part of the Football Law issued by FIFA or IFAB.
