FIFA is considering a revision to its disciplinary rules ahead of the expanded FIFA World Cup, with plans aimed at reducing the number of player suspensions resulting from accumulated yellow cards.
The proposal under review would introduce an additional amnesty stage in the tournament, allowing yellow cards to be cleared at the end of the group phase and again after the quarter-finals.
Currently, players face suspension after receiving two yellow cards across consecutive matches, a rule that has often led to key players missing decisive knockout fixtures.
With the World Cup set to expand from 32 to 48 teams, the number of matches required to reach the latter stages will increase, raising concerns among officials about a higher likelihood of suspensions for relatively minor infractions.
Under the proposed adjustment, players would still face a ban after two cautions, but only if those bookings occur within specific phases of the competition—either during the group stage or within the knockout rounds leading up to the quarter-finals.
Football authorities believe the approach would strike a balance between maintaining discipline and ensuring that major matches are less affected by player absences due to accumulated bookings.
The proposal is expected to be reviewed at a forthcoming FIFA Council meeting, where a final decision on the potential rule change will be taken.
