The Romanian Football Federation (FRF) has introduced a new black card to help prevent abusive behaviour from parents at youth-team matches.

In addition to the standard yellow and red cards, which determine disciplinary sanctions for individual players on the pitch, referees will have a black card which can be used to permanently cancel the match if they “observe inappropriate behaviour from spectators or parents”.

The FRF said the move was designed to combat “bullying and pressure exerted by parents and spectators in the stands”, making it the first football federation to introduce such a measure.

The black card being brandished will be the final part of a three-step process. In the first instance, the referee will temporarily suspend the match and ask coaches to speak directly to its team’s supporters and parents, while an announcement will also be communicated to supporters should a public address system be available.

Should the behaviour continue, the referee will suspend the match for 10 minutes and send the teams off the pitch to their dressing room while once again asking coaches to attempt to de-escalate the behaviour of those in the stands.

The FRF then detail the process behind using the black card as the final step: “If abusive behaviour persists after play resumes, the referee blows the final whistle. The match is permanently abandoned and cannot be resumed.”

The new procedure is designed to prevent abuse aimed at young footballers, coaching staff members, referees, match officials, or other parents and spectators present.

This behaviour encompasses verbal abuse or physical assault, with the FRF distributing a kit containing a banner, posters with rules of conduct for parents, and flyers explaining the 3-step procedure to all 130 Romanian academies within its remit.