GENEVA (AP) — Soccer Lawmaking Committee clarified the guidelines Swiss forward Breel Embolo told referee he should not have played Exited in the World Cup quarterfinals Against Argentina.
In the 72nd minute, just after Switzerland had tied the score at 1-1, Embolo was given a second yellow card after a video review of a simulated foul, changing the course of the match.
Argentina Won 3-1 in overtime He also helped judge the red card that sparked complaints. From our previous opponent Egyptthe referees ruled in favor of Lionel Messi’s team.
The FIFA-backed rules committee, known as IFAB, issued a clarification on Monday saying VAR protocols for “mistaken identity” incidents would not apply to such incidents at the World Cup, but could apply at future tournaments.
“However, it cannot be used as is until that review is completed,” Zurich-based IFAB said in a statement.
Embolo fell to the ground after being challenged by Argentina midfielder Leandro Paredes, but was shown a yellow card.
The VAR official alerted the referee that Paredes had not committed a foul and that Embolo was instead shown a second yellow and sent off.
This is not how “mistaken identity” is currently intended to be applied. That is, correcting the referee when a card is shown to the wrong player who did not commit the original foul for which the penalty was assessed.
“The referee made the wrong call,” Switzerland coach Murat Yakin said after the game in Kansas City. “I know they protect the referees, but this rule ruined our game today. It hurts a lot and it hurts a lot to lose like that.”
The IFAB clarified that the card “can only be viewed to identify the player who committed the offense for which he was penalized, and cannot review or change the offense itself.”
VAR protocol updates
a Review of VAR protocol The case has been ongoing since March, and IFAB acknowledged that cases like Embolo’s are part of it.
“The use of a misplacement clause to deal with simulations during the 2026 FIFA World Cup was well received,” the Zurich-based organization said.
The IFAB is made up of officials appointed by FIFA and the four British football federations. The annual general meeting is held in February or March each year and updates the laws of the game that apply to major tournaments or the upcoming season.
European soccer wants lighter-touch VAR
The IFAB’s clarity was praised by UEFA on Tuesday as a “welcome clarification”. UEFA has invited the head referees of its 55 member federations to reset decision-making principles for the new season.
UEFA emphasized that “VAR is not intended to re-referee matches,” calling for shorter video reviews and lighter interventions.
FIFA’s overall VAR strategy for the World Cup is Frustrating video review seasonespecially in the Premier League.
UEFA said: “Long-term microscopic reviews should be limited, as they are often symptoms that reveal that an on-field decision was not clearly and clearly wrong,” setting the criteria for intervention to be “when a referee’s call is clearly wrong, or when a referee misses an obvious incident.”
UEFA also encouraged the crackdown on time-wasting in matches agreed to by IFAB in March and implemented by FIFA at the World Cup.
UEFA said: “Referees will be instructed to strictly and consistently enforce the new rules.”
This season, UEFA will organize men’s and women’s club competitions, including the Champions League, as well as national team matches for the men’s Nations League, qualification for the 2028 European Championship and qualifying play-offs for the 2027 Women’s World Cup.
___ AP Soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and AP World Cup coverage
