IFAB agrees red-card sanction for players covering mouths during verbal confrontations

Players covering their mouths during confrontations with opponents could receive a red card, and players who leave the field in protest at a referee’s decision may ​be red-carded, the International Football Association Board (IFAB) said on Tuesday.

Both of the FIFA-proposed ‌laws were unanimously approved by IFAB at a special meeting in Vancouver, Canada and will be implemented for this year’s World Cup.

“As was agreed at The IFAB’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) in February, these decisions ​follow thorough FIFA-led consultations with all key stakeholders,” a statement read.

“At the discretion ​of the competition organiser, any player covering their mouth in a confrontational ⁠situation with an opponent may be sanctioned with a red card,” it said.

FIFA president ​Gianni Infantino said in February that players who cover their mouths while speaking to opponents ​during confrontations should be sent off.

His comments came weeks after an incident in a Champions League game in which Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni was accused of making discriminatory slurs to Vinicius Jr after the Brazilian scored ​Real Madrid’s goal in a 1–0 win in Lisbon.

The incident, in which Prestianni covered his ​mouth with his shirt, prompted the referee to activate UEFA’s anti-discrimination protocol, halting the match.

Argentine winger Prestianni, ‌who ⁠denied the accusation, was earlier this month handed a six-match suspension by UEFA for discriminatory conduct that was deemed homophobic.

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