“The International Football Association Board (IFAB) has announced a raft of landmark rule changes that will come into force ahead of this summer’s World Cup, with the overarching objectives being to tackle discrimination, cut time-wasting, increase match tempo and improve fan and player experience. ‘We are trying to clean the game as much as possible,’ Pierluigi Collina, chairman of the FIFA referees committee, told reporters. Among the changes will be: A red card for covering the mouth in a confrontational situation; A red card for leaving the field of play in protest at a match official’s decision;  VAR to overturn incorrectly awarded corners; Changes to on-field treatment rules. Collina is leading the implementation, while the World Cup’s 170 officials will take part in a final preparatory seminar in Miami on Tuesday. …”
NYT/ATH