Players who cover their mouths during confrontations with opponents, or who leave the pitch in protest at a refereeing decision, will be liable to receive a straight red card at this summer's World Cup. The rule change was confirmed ahead of the Fifa Congress in Vancouver, according to the Guardian, following approval by the International Football Association Board.
Ifab, the body responsible for the laws of the game, has not mandated the change for other competitions. Its application is specific to the World Cup, which begins in June, meaning domestic leagues and other international tournaments are not currently bound by the new protocols.
The Guardian reports that the decisions followed controversies involving mouth-covering during confrontations and conduct at the Africa Cup of Nations final — incidents that appear to have accelerated the push for a clearer deterrent at the highest level of the international game.
The intent behind the measure is legible enough. Covering one's mouth when speaking to another player has become a recognised way of evading lip-readers and, by extension, those monitoring pitchside communication for disciplinary purposes. Leaving the field unbidden to remonstrate with officials is a form of dissent that existing yellow-card provisions have evidently not been sufficient to curtail. Fifa and Ifab appear to have concluded that the World Cup — with its global audience and its premium on officials' authority — is the right stage to draw a harder line.
Whether referees at the tournament will apply the rule with consistency, and how quickly players and technical staffs adjust their conduct accordingly, remains to be seen. The stakes of a red card at a World Cup are considerable, and any high-profile dismissal under the new provisions is likely to generate significant debate about proportionality. For now, the regulation stands: the protocols will be in place when the tournament kicks off this summer.