Before the enlarged FIFA World Cup, FIFA is considering a significant change to its disciplinary policies with the goal of lowering punishments brought on by accumulated yellow cards.
The plan would add a second amnesty point to the tournament schedule, according to BBC Sport. At the conclusion of the group stage and once more following the quarterfinals, yellow cards would be eliminated.
Currently, players who receive two yellow cards in a series of games are banished. After minor infractions early in the competition, the rule has frequently forced important players to miss crucial knockout ties.
Change is urgently needed as the World Cup is ready to grow from 32 to 48 teams. Players may play in up to six games before making it to the final four under the new format, which means more games on the way to the semi-finals. Officials worry that this makes bans in high-stakes games more likely.
FIFA feels that two reset points would provide a more equitable balance than increasing the suspension threshold to three bookings. Players would still be suspended for two cautions under the proposed method, but only during shorter competition phases. Cautions obtained prior to the quarterfinals would not impact the semi-finals, and bookings made during the group stage would not be carried over into the knockout stages.
The modification is intended to maintain discipline while making sure that the absence of star players won’t have as much of an impact on major games.
The suggestion is anticipated to be presented at a future FIFA Council meeting, where a final decision may be made.
