Football’s law-making body, the International Football Association Board (IFAB), has unanimously approved two new rule changes that could see players sent off for walking off the pitch in protest or covering their mouths during confrontations, with the measures set to be enforced at the FIFA World Cup 2026.
In a release published on the official FIFA website on Tuesday, the IFAB said the decisions were reached at a Special Meeting held in Vancouver, Canada, following proposals by FIFA and extensive consultations with key stakeholders.
According to the body, a referee may sanction with a red card any player who leaves the field of play in protest at an official’s decision.
It added that the rule would equally apply to any team official who incites players to do so. The IFAB also stated that any team causing a match to be abandoned would, in principle, forfeit the contest.
“At the discretion of the competition organiser, the referee may sanction with a red card any player who leaves the field of play in protest at a referee’s decision.
“This new rule will also apply to any team official who incites players to leave the field of play. A team that causes a match to be abandoned will, in principle, forfeit the match,” the release read.
The new provision comes in the wake of the chaos that marred the Africa Cup of Nations final in Rabat in January.
Senegal head coach Pape Thiaw ordered his players off the field in protest after referee Jean-Jacques Ndala awarded Morocco a penalty in stoppage time.
The walkout brought the match to a standstill for nearly 18 minutes. CAF’s Appeal Board subsequently stripped Senegal of the title and awarded Morocco a 3-0 walkover victory. The decision remains before the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
The body further said any player who covers their mouth in a confrontational situation with an opponent may also be sanctioned with a red card, at the discretion of the competition organiser.
“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,” the release read.
The rule is widely seen as a response to growing concern about players concealing potentially discriminatory remarks from officials and cameras.
The practice gained global attention after Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni was investigated for allegedly directing a racial slur at Real Madrid’s Vinícius Júnior during a UEFA Champions League tie in February.
The IFAB noted that both amendments had been flagged at its 140th Annual General Meeting in Hensol, Wales, in February, where the board agreed to develop the measures following FIFA-led consultations with all key stakeholders.
It said the amendments would be communicated to the 48 participating teams in the coming weeks.
The World Cup opens on June 11 in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
