Vinicius mouth‑covering rule in football

In late July 2026 Spanish football authorities debated a new disciplinary measure aimed at players who cover their mouths while speaking to opponents or officials. The Comité Técnico de Árbitros (CTA) initially rejected a proposal that would have mandated an automatic red card and instead suggested a suite of other time‑wasting reforms, arguing the rule was too subjective to enforce.

Later the same day the Real Federación Española de Fútbol (RFEF) announced that La Liga will adopt a tempered version for the 2026/27 season: a yellow‑card sanction for mouth‑covering, intended to aid officials in detecting possible racist or discriminatory language. The announcement framed the change as part of broader efforts to modernise match control, alongside parallel regulation updates in Venezuela’s FUTVE league.

Thus the situation evolved from a rejected strict expulsion proposal to the implementation of a milder yellow‑card rule, reflecting a compromise between disciplinary intent and practical enforceability.