FIFA has announced that players who cover their mouths during confrontations with opponents at the FIFA World Cup could receive a red card under new anti-racism measures.
The decision was confirmed on Tuesday after a meeting of the International Football Association Board in Vancouver.
“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,” FIFA said in a statement.
The new rule follows controversy involving Gianluca Prestianni earlier this year after he was accused of racially abusing Vinicius Junior during a UEFA Champions League match in February.
Prestianni was alleged to have repeatedly called Vinicius a “monkey” while covering his mouth. He denied the accusation but was later suspended for six matches over “homophobic conduct.”
Gianni Infantino previously backed the proposed rule.
“If a player covers his mouth and says something, and this has a racist consequence, then he has to be sent off, obviously. There must be a presumption that he has said something he shouldn’t have said, otherwise he wouldn’t have had to cover his mouth. If you do not have something to hide, you don’t hide your mouth when you say something. That’s it, as simple as that.”
FIFA also announced another law change that will apply at the World Cup, allowing referees to send off players who walk off the pitch in protest over decisions.
“At the discretion of the competition organizer, the referee may sanction with a red card any player who leaves the field of play in protest at a referee’s decision,” FIFA said. “This new rule will also apply to any team official who incites players to leave the field of play.”
The governing body added that any team responsible for abandoning a match will automatically forfeit the game.
The announcement comes as officials gather in Vancouver ahead of the upcoming FIFA Congress before the tournament begins in Canada, Mexico and the United States this June.