Players covering their mouths during confrontations will not face red cards in Uefa competitions, as confirmed on Thursday. This decision affects the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League.

The controversy surrounding this issue gained prominence in February when Gianluca Prestianni, a winger for Benfica, raised his shirt while talking to Vinicius Jr of Real Madrid during a Champions League match. Prestianni faced accusations of racist abuse and received a provisional one-match ban. After a Uefa investigation, he was found guilty of homophobic conduct and subsequently banned for six matches, three of which are suspended.

The red card law, initiated by Fifa president Gianni Infantino, aimed to create a deterrent effect during the World Cup and was approved by the International Football Association Board (Ifab) in April. Notably, Miguel Almiron of Paraguay and Piero Hincapie of Arsenal were the first players to receive red cards under this regulation in World Cup matches.

Despite the incident involving Prestianni, Uefa has opted not to implement Infantino's law. Instead, they stated that referees should evaluate situations individually, potentially issuing yellow cards for unsporting behavior.

Uefa emphasized that this approach does not preclude further disciplinary investigations related to such behavior. The law change has sparked debate, with critics arguing it presumes guilt and could lead to misuse against players. For instance, Jude Bellingham was not sent off for covering his mouth in a match against Jordan Ayew of Ghana.

While Uefa will not issue red cards for mouth-covering, they will utilize VAR to review incorrect corner decisions, having already reversed 22 to goal-kicks during the World Cup.