April 29 – FIFA and International Football Association Board (IFAB) have approved a set of law changes that will be in place at this summer’s FIFA World Cup, including the potential for red cards in situations that have, until now, been largely at the referee’s discretion.
The headline-grabber centres on players covering their mouths during on-field confrontations. Under the new guidance, referees will have the option to issue a red card where such behaviour is deemed to conceal abusive or discriminatory language.
The measure is being introduced in the wake of the incident involving Gianluca Prestianni and Vinícius Júnior last month in the UEFA Champions League which brought the issue into sharper focus.
Until now, players could say pretty much anything behind a concealed mouth. It left room for doubt should opponents claim something was said when it wasn’t, putting referees in a difficult position. Removing that grey area helps bring more clarity and, in theory, makes those moments easier to manage.
“If a player covers his mouth and says something, and this has a racist consequence, then he has to be sent off, obviously,” said FIFA president Gianni Infatnino.
“There must be a presumption that he has said something he shouldn’t have said, otherwise he wouldn’t have had to cover his mouth. If you do not have something to hide, you don’t hide your mouth when you say something. That’s it, as simple as that.”
The second amendment addresses players leaving the field in protest at refereeing decisions – a move that follows the fallout from the AFCON final, where a temporary walk-off escalated into a wider disciplinary issue. CAF, of course, subsequently overturned the result, awarding a 3-0 victory to hosts Morocco who had beem beaten in the game by Senegal 1-0.
Clearly keen to avoid that awkwardness this summer, FIFA has pledged that teams or individuals who initiate a walk-off can now face red cards, with matches liable to be forfeited if abandoned.
Both measures have been introduced as competition opt-ins by IFAB but will be implemented at the World Cup, signalling FIFA’s intent to tighten behavioural standards on the sport’s biggest stage. Responsibility, however, still rests with the referee to interpret intent and context.
Alongside the disciplinary changes, FIFA has confirmed a return to a two-stage yellow card amnesty. Bookings will be wiped after the group phase and again following the quarter-finals, a tweak designed to limit the number of players missing key matches in an expanded tournament format.
Taken together, the updates reflect a broader push to manage player conduct more proactively, while also addressing the practical demands of a longer, 48-team World Cup.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at [email protected]