Blackpool boss Gary Bowyer questions yellow and red cards for managers

It was announced earlier this week that managers that behave badly on the touchline will face punishment this coming season.

The pilot project will apply to the Premier League, EFL and National League, as well as from the first round of the FA Cup, League Cup and EFL Trophy.

These 'stage one warnings' will also accumulate, as they do for players, and any manager who receives four warnings will receive an automatic one-game touchline ban.

In the Premier League, however, managers will not be shown cards and their warnings will only be verbal.

But unlike accumulated cautions for players, there will be no automatic reset after a certain number of games.

Eight warnings will result in a two-match ban, 12 warnings will bring a three-match ban and 16 will lead to a misconduct charge with a sanction to be determined by a disciplinary panel.

The exception to the no-reset rule will be play-off matches in the EFL and National League and the FA Cup Final.

In a statement, the FA explained that the warnings will be issued for inappropriate language or gestures "which are an obvious show of dissent or an attempt to influence the decisions of the match officials", kicking or throwing water bottles or clothing, sarcastic clapping, waving imaginary cards and so on.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, EFL chief executive Shaun Harvey said rules for behaviour in the dugout or technical area are not new but the idea is to make the disciplinary procedure clearer to fans.

When asked about the new rules, Bowyer told The Gazette: “My first question is, why is it in the Football League and not the Premier League?

“I half get it a little bit. If we feel we have to do that for the sake of the supporters, as it has been mentioned, then I would also lobby to the supporters to say ‘can we get socks and shorts that don’t match the away team’?

“I think MK came here and wore all black and the only difference between the MK players and the referee was his purple top.

“Surely the budget should be able to stretch to purple socks as well, which would be able to help us a little bit.

“That would have a bigger impact on the game than yellow and red cards for managers.”

Harvey also said if the bad behaviour on the sidelines is more general, a referee can caution the entire coaching staff.

If it continues, the referee will then caution the manager and they will have to leave the technical area. And if that does not work, the referee will send the manager to the stands with a red card.

"We thought it should add to the clarity and hopefully better behaviour in the technical areas," said Harvey.

"This is not about creating a drama. It is about making sure behaviour doesn't decline further."