Red cards approved for players covering mouths at World Cup

The International Football Association Board held a special meeting in Vancouver on Tuesday to approve a pair of FIFA-approved amendments to address inappropriate behavior ahead of this summer’s World Cup in North America.

One new rule permits officials to issue red cards for any players who cover their mouth during a confrontation with an opponent or to any players who leave the field of play in protest of a decision made by a referee.

This change stems from a Champions League match when Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni said racially abusive comments directed at Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior while pulling his jersey up over his mouth to hide what he was saying. Vinicius was visibly emotional after the confrontation, and Prestianni received a six-match ban from UEFA for the incident.

The International Football Association Board held a special meeting in Vancouver on Tuesday to approve a pair of FIFA-approved amendments to address inappropriate behavior ahead of this summer’s World Cup in North America

The other new amendment permits officials to issue red cards for any players who leave the field of play in protest of a decision made by a referee. It also applies to any team official who convinces his team’s players to leave the field in protest of a call.

IFAB said in its statement that all 48 teams competing in the World Cup will be informed of these amendments in the coming weeks.

The World Cup kicks off June 11 with Mexico facing South Africa in Mexico City.