On Tuesday night, while the football world had its eyes on the fantastic match between PSG and Bayern Munich, the IFAB (International Football Association Board) officially announced two major changes to the football rules.
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First of all, the body unanimously approved that “Any player who covers his mouth during a confrontation with an opponent may be sanctioned with a red card.“A rule to be applied”at the discretion of the contest organizer“.
Additionally, the IFAB has also given referees the power to “Show a red card to any player who leaves the field of play to protest a referee’s decision. This new rule will also apply to any staff member who encourages players to leave the field of play.”
These new rules obviously follow the Vinicius/Prestianni affair, in which the Brazilian accused the Argentine of racist comments, but also the AFCON 2025 final, when Senegal left the pitch to protest the penalty awarded to Morocco in the final seconds of the match.
These rules probably will not be the only new features for the 2026 World Cup, since according to the BBC, FIFA also plans to review the suspension system for the accumulation of yellow cards.
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Under the current system, with the addition of one new match, a player would have to play six matches under threat of automatic suspension after two yellow cards.
According to the British media, FIFA now wants to withdraw yellow cards from players who have received only one at the end of the group stage. This would allow them to play any possible round of 32, round of 16 and quarter-finals without that threat hanging over their heads.
Another reset of yellow cards for players who have only received one would take place after the quarter-finals to prevent key players from missing out on a potential final.
So what do you think of these changes? Tell us everything in the comments!
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇫🇷 here.