World Cup Officials Enforce New Red Card Rule for Mouth Covering

World Cup officials are enforcing a rule that results in an immediate red card for players covering their mouths while confronting opponents. The directive was introduced before the tournament and is intended to stop players from concealing abusive or discriminatory language. The incident followed an exchange with a Mexico forward and did not change the match result.

Officials approved the guideline after an earlier incident in which a Benfica player was accused of hiding racially charged insults during a match. The International Football Association Board ratified the change at a special meeting. The rule is not mandatory under the standard Laws of the Game but gives tournament organizers discretion to apply it.

A Paraguay midfielder became the first player sent off under the rule during a group-stage match against Turkey. The player missed his team's next group game as a result. A red card ejects the player from the current match and triggers a one-game suspension. The team must finish the match with ten players but can field eleven in the following game.