Fifa unveils new regulations to enhance on-field discipline and combat discrimination

The final decision from the Court of Arbitration for Sport regarding the contentious Senegal-Morocco match remains awaited. However, one undeniable truth stands out: the entire saga could have been managed far more effectively, preventing the escalation to such extremes, particularly the alteration of a match result via forfeit, months after the final whistle had blown.

To prevent similar prolonged disputes, FIFA has proactively introduced several directives during a recent congress held in Vancouver. According to reports from The Times, the global football governing body has instructed referees to immediately issue a red card to any player who departs the field of play in protest against an official’s decision.

This stringent sanction will also apply to any member of the coaching or support staff who incites players to engage in such behavior. Furthermore, if an entire team collectively retreats to the dressing room, as occurred with Senegal, the match will automatically be declared a forfeit. This specific regulation is already in existence and was the basis upon which CAF awarded Morocco the victory by forfeit in the Africa Cup of Nations final.

Fifa also addresses the Vinicius incident with new measures

In a separate but equally critical development, FIFA has implemented additional measures following another significant incident from recent weeks: the Vinicius-Prestianni affair. The Brazilian player accused the Benfica player of uttering racist remarks towards him. Ultimately, the Argentinian was sanctioned for homophobic insults, which he admitted to having made.

FIFA’s response to this type of incident? Players who address an opponent while covering their mouth with their hand will now face a red card. This measure aims to facilitate lip-reading, thereby making it possible to identify any potential racist or discriminatory comments that might otherwise go undetected by opponents or officials.