Overview
- IFAB, meeting Tuesday in Vancouver, unanimously approved FIFA-proposed laws that will apply at this summer’s World Cup.
- Referees can now send off any player who covers their mouth during a face-to-face dispute, at the competition organizer’s discretion.
- Players who leave the field in protest of a referee’s decision can be shown a red card, and officials who incite a walk-off can also be dismissed, with forfeiture possible if a team causes abandonment.
- The moves follow two flashpoints this year: a Champions League clash where Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni hid his mouth while abusing Real Madrid’s Vinícius Júnior, and the Africa Cup of Nations final where Senegal temporarily left the pitch.
- Separately, FIFA is set to discuss a second yellow-card amnesty reported for adoption this week, which would clear cautions after the group stage and again after the quarterfinals to offset the added Round of 32 in the 48-team format.