LITTLE Oakley boss Matt Carmichael has admitted having reservations about new plans to introduce sin bins next season.

The scheme will be used to punish dissent and be rolled out across all step five and six leagues, which includes both divisions of the Thurlow Nunn League.

Oakley play in division one south, alongside the likes of Harwich and Parkeston, Holland FC, Wivenhoe Town, Halstead Town, Brightlingsea Regent Reserves, Coggeshall United and Braintree Town Reserves.

"At this stage, I'm not sure how it's going to work," said the Acorns boss.

"I can't get my head round it.

"Details are thin on the ground so I'm a bit sceptical at the moment.

"What happens if there's a mass brawl right at the start of a game and half a dozen players get sent to the sin bin?

"I'm not sure how referees are going to cope, especially with no fourth official at this level.

"It's very bizarre."

Other cautions and red cards remain unaffected and dissent deemed by the referee to involve behaviour that is insulting, abusive or offensive would still result in a player being sent off in line with existing rules.

Referees will show a yellow card and point to the technical area to signal a sin bin.

Players receiving a second sin bin in one game play no further part but may be substituted at the end of the second ten-minute period, provided they have not been booked for a separate offence and their team has at least one substitution left to use.

Ten-minute sin bins will replace bookings for dissent, with no £10 administration charge that accompanies standard yellow cards.

Players with two sin bins and a separate booking are effectively sent off.

Sin bins carry over from the first to second halves and from full-time into extra-time but omitted players can take part in penalty shoot-outs with no banned time running over into future fixtures.