Football's international board meets on Saturday to discuss a new ten-yard rule which would allow referees to punish dissent.

FIFA, football's world governing body, are known to be extremely pleased with experiments carried out in Jersey and in a minor English cup competition, and the law is expected to be in force everywhere from next season

The sport's International Board, the IFAB, is meeting at Taplow in Berkshire to discuss major change to the rules of the game.

The idea is similar to that used in rugby union, and the FA has concluded through experiments this season that it has increased the level of sportsmanship.

Under the rule, referees can move a free kick ten yards nearer the defending team's goal every time a player shows dissent.

The FA believe it would prevent the kind of intimidation experienced by referee Andy D'Urso at Old Trafford recently.

It has yet to be used in the professional game, but the FA wants Fifa's International Board, which governs the rules of the game, to adopt it at Saturday's meeting.

The concept has been hugely successful in rugby union and league for many years and has recently been piloted in the Auto Windscreens Shield, the Central Midland League and in Jersey.

"In our view it has been a complete success (in the trials). It's now a question of whether the board will change the law worldwide," said FA executive director David Davies.

"We have been behind this change all the way and are supportive of it. If Fifa decided to go for a further year of experiment on a higher profile, we'd go for it.

"The issue now is whether Fifa have seen enough. Our information is that it has improved the level of sportsmanship and that it works."

Officials in Jersey say the 10-yard rule has dramatically improved the conduct of their players since it was introduced 18 months ago.

Fifa spokesman Keith Cooper admitted: "We sent representatives to Jersey and they came back and said there was nothing to see because the rule works.

"There was no dissent or time-wasting when a free-kick was given. The next stage is whether the rule is adopted at the highest level from 1 July."

Experimentation in the Auto Windscreens Shield was also heralded a success by participating Second and Third Division clubs - mainly because it has proved such a deterrent it has not had to be implemented.

But Chesterfield boss John Duncan does not think the leagues should rush into adopting it.

"There has been a positive response in the games I've seen, but it should be given a little longer to prove its worth," he said.

Dissent is obviously a situation we want to see as little of as possible and anything which stops it is a positive move. The deterrent of the rule has proved very effective."