Italian second division league (Serie B) is set to introduce revolutionary 'Green Card' in football to reward fair play.
Unlike the red and yellow card, the new 'Green Card 'will not be used to punish a player, but to acknowledge fair play. The whole concept behind the 'Green Card' is to hand it out for 'conspicuous acts of sportsmanship' and 'acts of virtue'. According to the Italian newspaper La Stampa, the card will be handed out after the match.
Receiving the 'Green Card' does not mean the players will receive on pitch recognition, but the names of all the players who receive this card will be noted and a list of such players will be compiled at the end of the season.
The players will receive a 'Green Card' for actions such as kicking the ball out of the pitch boundaries to stop the play in case of an another players injury or by helping the referee make the correct decision. Reports have also suggested that a player is entitled to receive a 'Green Card' for diving - provided the player admits the dive was made in order to win a penalty kick.
According to Italian officials, the idea is to 'highlight those who help to make the game a game and not a battle by primal instincts.'
