World football governing body FIFA is exploring a major adjustment to its disciplinary system as it prepares for the expanded FIFA World Cup, with the aim of reducing player suspensions caused by accumulated yellow cards.
According to a report by BBC Sport on Monday, the proposal includes adding a second amnesty stage during the competition. This would see all yellow cards cleared at the end of the group phase and again after the quarter-finals.
At present, players are suspended after picking up two yellow cards over a series of matches, a rule that can force key players to miss important knockout games.
With the World Cup expanding from 32 to 48 teams, the path to the later stages will involve more matches. Teams will have to navigate an extra round, meaning players could take part in as many as six games before reaching the semi-finals. FIFA is concerned that this increases the likelihood of suspensions for relatively minor infractions, potentially sidelining players during crucial fixtures.
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Instead of raising the suspension limit to three yellow cards, officials believe introducing two reset points offers a more balanced solution. Under the suggested approach, players would need to accumulate two bookings within a shorter stretch of matches—either during the group stage or within the knockout rounds up to the quarter-finals—to face suspension.
The proposed adjustment is intended to maintain discipline while reducing the chances of top players missing decisive matches due to accumulated cautions.
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The idea is expected to be tabled at an upcoming FIFA Council meeting, where a final decision on the potential rule change could be reached.
