The new red card rule will allow referees to send off players who cover their mouths or leave the pitch in protest of a decision.
Published April 29, 2026
Football players who cover their mouths during a confrontation with an opponent or another player on the pitch will be given a red card under new rules approved by the International Football Association Board (IFAB).
The board held a special meeting in Vancouver on Tuesday to pass amendments approved by FIFA to address inappropriate conduct ahead of the North American World Cup.
“At the discretion of the tournament organizer, a player who covers his mouth during a confrontation with an opponent may be given a red card,” IFAB said.
The change comes after Benfica’s Gianluca Prestiani hurled a racial slur at Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior during a UEFA Champions League match, while putting his jersey over his mouth to cover up what he was saying.
Another new amendment would allow referees to issue red cards to players who leave the field in protest of an referee’s decision. This rule also applies to team officials who persuade players to leave the team in protest.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino pushed for changes after a heated match in which Senegal was sent off the field in the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) final.
In the AFCON final in January, hosts Morocco were given a penalty at 0-0 and were sent off in stoppage time. Play was delayed for nearly 15 minutes until Morocco’s spot kick was saved. Senegal won the title by scoring in extra time, but was later stripped of the title by African football’s governing body, the Appeals Committee. The case will now be heard at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland.
These new red card rules are not mandatory, but give competition organizers such as FIFA the option to use them.
IFAB said in a statement that all 48 teams participating in the World Cup will be notified of these amendments in the coming weeks.
UEFA last week handed Prestiani a six-game suspension (three of which were postponed during a suspended sentence) for his abusive language, which was deemed homophobic. Mr Prestiani admitted using a homophobic slur, but UEFA denied it was a racial insult, saying it could not be proven.
If Prestianni is selected for Argentina’s World Cup squad, he will have to miss the defending champions’ first two games in June, but his suspension can be appealed.
The World Cup begins on June 11th in Mexico City with Mexico and South Africa playing against each other.
