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FIFA is preparing to amend World Cup rules on yellow cards to ensure fewer players are suspended in key qualifying matches in North America.
An additional amnesty for yellow cards — clearing players’ disciplinary records twice during the expanded tournament — will be proposed at a Tuesday meeting 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 one-match ban if they receive a yellow card in two different matches, but in previous tournaments they were canceled after the quarterfinals.
This ensured that no player would miss the final through suspension if they received a yellow card in the semi-final.
The expanded 48-team World Cup format, with an additional round of 32 knockout stage, led to a FIFA review aimed at helping keep players on the field.
FIFA proposes clearing the disciplinary records of players with a yellow card after the three-match group stage so they can start the knockout phase again.
A second amnesty will be applied after the quarterfinals for players who received a yellow card during the previous three knockout rounds and whose teams advanced to the semifinals.
The World Cup will be played from June 11 to July 19 in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
