EFL rule which benefits Blackpool ahead of Northampton, Wigan and Derby fixtures

Blackpool players will no longer have to worry about facing a suspension after they played the 37th game of their 2023/24 campaign.

Players who receive ten bookings up to 37th campaign receive an automatic ban. It's the next step from having five yellow cards before the 19th, and now the final hurdle to overcome is 15 yellows in the final nine matches.

Captain Ollie Norburn was the closest to the ban having picked up eight yellow cards in 28 games, and despite getting carded against Portsmouth on Saturday, he does not need to worry. Callum Connolly and James Husband had both been on seven yellow cards, but again they needn't to worry about missing any games.

The cut-off point allows players to pick up a few more yellow cards without the threat of being banned. As Fair Play goes this season, Blackpool are 15th with no player getting two yellow cards in a league match but there have been three occasions in which a player has been dismissed with a straight red.

Blackpool were recently subject to a controversial decision at the weekend which saw Jordan Rhodes dismissed against league leaders Pompey. He was adjudged to have led with his elbow in a duel with Joe Rafferty and was red carded, but the EFL overturned the decision and he is now available to play against Northampton Town at Sixfields on Tuesday (March 12) night. Olly Casey and Norburn are the two other players to have been red carded this season.

Callum Connolly was Blackpool's most carded player last season having been shown 11 yellows in the Championship. He had a similar record in the 2021/22 season too with 10 yellows and one red.

Blackpool travel to Wigan Athletic this weekend before their season goes on a brief pause for the international break and then they return against Derby County and Wycombe Wanderers. Their season will conclude on April 27 with six games scheduled that month.