LOCAL footballers could find themselves 'sent off' more than once if they cannot keep their tongues under control next season.

Ten-minute sin bins are being introduced in all adult county leagues next season including Herefordshire.

Sin binning will only be for dissent of officials, not foul play.

Herefordshire FA are set to hold a set of four workshops during May to advise club officials, managers and referees how the system will work.

The move follows trials across the UK this season, including one in Worcestershire, which have led to a 40 per cent drop in dissent.

A player deemed by a referee to be abusive can be sent to the bin for ten minutes, and can be sent to the bin again if he repeats the offence.

A player would not be allowed to return to the pitch after a second binning expired, but his team can substitute him.

There is no limit to the number of players who could be binned, so if a crowd of players started to abuse the referee several could be sent to the bin at once.

If separate cases of abuse overlap, more than one player would be in the sin bin at the same time.

The FA believe the threat of teams ending up playing with ten, nine or eight men because of sin binning will ensure managers, coaches, captains and teammates put pressure on players to control themselves.

Clubs will also be fined if the number of sin binnings in a season reaches a certain number.

Meanwhile Herefordshire FA are also getting tougher on what they describe as 'verbal misconduct' by team officials after saying they have lost a number of referees because of poor behaviour.

Secretary Jim Lambert is urging referees to report club officials to the FA so that the disciplinary panel can 'crack down.'

Managers can face touchline bans and clubs can face fines.

After some abuse incidents after games, the FA is also warning teams to make sure they pay the referees before the matches, so that they do not have to wait around for their money and face possible abuse.

Concerns have been raised in relation to changing facilities for referees.

The Herefordshire FA have reminded teams that it is the responsibility of the home team to ensure that referees have a secure and preferably separate changing facility.