FIFA’s New Rule on Player Conduct

This year’s World Cup has seen FIFA implement a stringent rule: players can now be given a red card if they cover their mouths while communicating on the field. This move aims to crack down on abusive or discriminatory language during matches. Interestingly, though, UEFA has decided not to adopt this rule for its competitions next season, including the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League.

UEFA announced that while players might still receive a yellow card for “attempting to conceal communications in an unsporting manner,” they will not face the same severe penalties as in FIFA’s regulations. It’s worth noting that UEFA further clarified that this won’t change any ongoing disciplinary investigations related to such behavior.

The push for this rule change came after a notable incident involving Benfica’s Gianluca Prestiani, who was seen trying to mask his verbal abuse towards Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior during a match. This prompted FIFA’s president, Gianni Infantino, to advocate for stricter measures. The International Football Association Board, responsible for soccer’s laws, agreed that players could be penalized with a red card for covering their mouths while addressing fellow players.

Despite the rule’s adoption by FIFA, it’s not mandatory. Tournament organizers can choose to implement it or not. The changes received unanimous support from the IFAB at a meeting preceding the FIFA General Assembly. This proposal, notably endorsed by players like Kylian Mbappe, was set in motion after Prestiani accused Vinicius of using his shirt to cover his mouth while making derogatory remarks during a match earlier in the season.

So far, only Miguel Almiron from Paraguay and Ecuador’s Piero Hincapie have faced red cards under this new directive. If a player receives a red card, they must leave the field and will be suspended for at least one subsequent match, leaving their team short-handed.