AFP, LONDON: English football intends to start punishing managers who behave badly on the sidelines as severely as players on the field, the Football Association (FA) said on Tuesday.

In the coming season, referees will be able to show red and yellow cards to coaching staff in England's top professional competitions, with the exception of the Premier League, as part of a pilot project based on the FA's existing "technical area code of conduct".

In the top flight, managers will not be shown cards but receive verbal warnings.

Like cards for players, the warnings will be totted up and could lead to match bans.