Professional Footballers' Association chairman Clarke Carlisle has urged football chiefs to punish players who use bad language on the pitch.

The suggestion comes after John Terry was cleared of racially abusing Anton Ferdinand on Friday.

Despite Terry's acquittal, the case gave the public an insight into the language used by footballers.

"If players were sent off and banned because of the language, it would cause them to address their behaviour," Carlisle told BBC Sport. "It would cause the clubs to clamp down on it too.

"In order to change it it would take a very strong line from the referees, a very strong line from the governing bodies."

PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor admitted on Saturday that the Terry case had "tarnished" the image of football in England.