What is the World Cup covering mouth rule and when does it result in a red card?

World Cup players have been warned that if they cover their mouths while verbally confronting an opponent, they will be sent off.

Ecuador defender Piero Hincapie was given a red card in his nation’s 2-0 defeat to Mexico in the Round of 32.

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The referee dismissed the Arsenal player following an exchange with forward Santi Gimenez.

He became the second player punished under the new directive at the 2026 tournament, following Paraguay midfielder Miguel Almiron.

He was sent off against Turkey after covering his mouth during a confrontation with defender Mert Mulder.

Paraguay were reduced to ten men but held on to win 1-0, however, Almiron was suspended for their subsequent Group D match against Australia.

What is the rule?

FIFA introduced 11 law changes specifically for this tournament, and the new regulations will most likely be applied to the Premier League next season.

The official law reads: “At the discretion of the competition organiser, any player covering their mouth in a confrontational situation with an opponent may be sanctioned with a red card.

“In practice, the rule covers a player using a hand, arm or shirt to cover their mouth during a “confrontational situation with an opponent.

Head of referees Pierluigi Collina spoke on the subject: “If the conversation is friendly, they can continue to do it without any problem.

“When the conversation is confrontational, covering the mouth means that you are doing something very wrong, potentially, and the sanction is the red card.”

The regulation has been dubbed the ‘Prestianni Law’ and aims to prevent players from hiding abusive, discriminatory, or offensive language following a controversy in the Champions League.

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What is the Prestianni law?

Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni was handed a six-game ban by UEFA for homophobic conduct during a Champions League knockout match with Real Madrid in February.

The game was stopped for ten minutes after Vinicius Jr accused the Argentine of racially abusing him.

However, Los Blancos midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni stated that the Brazilian was actually subjected to homophobic abuse.

The Argentine would have faced a minimum 10-match European ban if he had been found guilty of racist abuse.

Prestanni was charged specifically for using a homophobic slur, with three matches of his six-game suspension deferred.

Two weeks after the incident, FIFA president Gianni Infantino enforced the rule in the World Cup.

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He said: “This thing about covering the mouth is for us a very, very important rule.

“It’s about respect, it’s about the example that we should give. If you have nothing to hide, you don’t cover your mouth when you speak to somebody.

“The rules have been made very clear to everyone, everyone knows them, so this is an important element.”

Moving forwards, suspensions under this rule can be lengthened depending on what audio or video evidence reveals.