7 things to put in the sin bin

Football is following in Rugby’s footsteps and introducing sin bins in an attempt to deal with bad behaviour on the pitch. It got Tim Bechervaise thinking: what else in society could do with a time out?

If someone were to ask you for words that could be considered Christian jargon, what would you say?

High on your list might be “sin”.

To Christians, it’s a serious thing (and rightly so) but explaining it to someone with little or no church background is enough to make many of us break out into a nervous sweat. Or is that just me?

The word doesn’t (usually) land easily in society but, in recent days, it has re-emerged into the cultural conversation. Well, kind of. In the ever complicated and controversial world of football, sin-bins are to be trialled in the professional game after successful tests at grassroots level.

Rugby and Ice Hockey fans will already be familiar with the term. A sin bin is a box or bench where offending players can be sent for a period as a penalty for wrong behaviour. Think of it as a naughty step.

The International Football Association Board (who are responsible for making the rules) announced the move to clamp down on player behaviour. But it’s got me thinking: what and who else but naughty footballers could do with spending time in the sinbin?