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FIFA is preparing to adjust World Cup yellow card rules to ensure fewer players are suspended for key elimination matches in North America.
An additional amnesty for yellow cards – erasing players’ disciplinary records twice during the extended tournament – will be proposed at a meeting Tuesday of FIFA’s governing council, people familiar with the plan told The Associated Press. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the decision is not yet official.
At the World Cup, players must serve a ban if they receive a yellow card in two different matches, but they were canceled in previous tournaments after the quarter-finals.
It ensured that no player would miss the final through suspension if they receive a yellow card in the semi-final.
The expanded 48-team World Cup format, with an extra round of 32 knockout phase, led to a FIFA review aimed at helping keep players on the field.
FIFA is proposing to clear the disciplinary records of players who have a yellow card after the three-match group stage to restart the knockout stage.
Another amnesty after the quarter-finals will apply to players who received a yellow card during the previous three knockout rounds and whose team progressed to the semi-finals.
The World Cup will be played from June 11 to July 19 in the USA, Canada and Mexico.
