World Cup Referees Broke Rules, Top Finnish Judge Says

The International Football Association Board (Ifab) has issued a clarification regarding a contentious Video Assistant Referee (VAR) interpretation used during the World Cup, aiming to prevent its misuse in simulation cases. The Athletic reported on Ifab's stance, which addresses the so-called 'wrong person' rule.

According to Ifab, this rule, which permits VAR to intervene if a referee mistakenly shows a yellow or red card to the wrong player, should not be employed in situations involving simulation or diving. The board emphasizes that the rule's sole purpose is to identify the correct player who committed an offense, not to alter the offense itself from a foul to simulation.

This clarification comes after two high-profile incidents in the World Cup. In a group stage match between the United States and Paraguay, Tim Ream of the USA was initially cautioned for a foul on Paraguay's Miguel Almirón. However, after a VAR review, the card was rescinded, and Almirón was instead booked for diving. A similar situation occurred in the quarter-final between Argentina and Switzerland, where Leandro Paredes of Argentina received a yellow card for an incident involving Breel Embolo. VAR review led to Paredes' card being canceled, and Embolo was cautioned for diving.

Football refereeing expert Jan-Peter Aravirta had previously noted the misapplication of the rule during the tournament, stating that the offense was changed from a tackle to simulation, which he deemed contrary to the rules. In the Argentina-Switzerland match, Embolo's second yellow card for simulation resulted in his expulsion, a decision that occurred shortly after Switzerland's equalizer and significantly impacted the game. Ifab's new directive means that such dismissals based on this interpretation of the 'wrong person' rule for simulation are no longer permissible.

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The rule may be used only to identify the player who committed the offense. It may not be used to change the offense itself to another.