🎥 Hand over mouth, Almirón sent off: the 🆕 rule after Vini

Among the most debated images from Turkey-Paraguay was that of Miguel Almirón, captured with a look of total disbelief after a refereeing decision that many struggled to understand at the time.

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Almirón, in fact, became the first footballer to be sent off for covering his mouth while speaking to an opponent. An incident linked to one of the new directives introduced by IFAB and already enforced during the World Cup.

🟥 WHAT HAPPENED

In first-half stoppage time, it all started with a scuffle following a foul on Isidro Pitta: several players exchanged words and, during the confrontation with Turkey’s Mert Muldur, the Paraguayan number 10 was seen covering his mouth with one hand.

Referee Ivan Barton was called over by VAR and, after reviewing the incident, showed a straight red card. Images of Almirón’s stunned reaction quickly spread across the web, but the decision was not related to the words spoken by the player, but rather to the gesture itself during the confrontation with his opponent.

🆕 THE NEW IFAB RULE

Since April, IFAB has introduced a specific rule aimed at combating offensive, discriminatory or otherwise unverifiable behavior during on-field arguments. As specified by Calcio e Finanza, the rules state that a player may not cover his mouth with his hand, arm or shirt while addressing an opponent in a confrontational situation.

The aim is to prevent any insults or inappropriate expressions from being hidden from cameras and disciplinary bodies. For this reason, the simple act of covering the mouth during an altercation is considered a violation punishable by a red card. Almirón’s is the first case of the rule being applied at a World Cup.

🔙 THE PRESTIANNI-VINICIUS PRECEDENT

The new provision stems from the case involving Gianluca Prestianni during a match between Benfica and Real Madrid. On that occasion, the Argentine talent covered his mouth with his shirt while speaking to Vinicius Jr during a heated exchange on the pitch. The incident sparked huge media controversy: Prestianni was accused of directing racist remarks at Vinicius Jr and UEFA decided to punish him with a six-match suspension.   

It was precisely that precedent that pushed international bodies to introduce a specific rule against using hands, arms or shirts to cover lip movements during on-field arguments. From that moment on, FIFA and IFAB worked on a regulatory change that would ensure greater transparency in communication between players.

A rule that has now found its most striking application with the red card shown to Almirón, one destined to become an important precedent. The image of his disbelief will likely remain one of the iconic scenes of this World Cup, a new development that has already sparked debate among fans, experts and the tournament’s protagonists and which, after the Turkey-Paraguay case, will be watched even more closely in the upcoming matches.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.