In the comic strip Calvin and Hobbes, the characters played Calvinball—a game with ever-changing rules. Now, real sports seem to be following suit.
Match officials are enforcing tweaks to the laws that have hardly been tested. The result?
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Drama, 'mistaken identities,' and widespread confusion.
FIFA's Annual Rule Changes Create Chaos
FIFA insists on applying annual law changes at the World Cup, even though they are barely tested.
The International Football Association Board (Ifab) has half the vote on law changes, but FIFA decides when to implement them.
This year, laws changed on July 1, but competitions starting before that date could delay implementation.
Yet FIFA chose to enforce new rules at the World Cup, leading to unexpected incidents.
One example is the 'mistaken identity' clause, rewritten to allow review of yellow and red cards when the wrong player is penalized.
In Paraguay's opener against the USA, Miguel Almirón flopped, and Tim Ream was booked. Replays cleared Ream, and Almirón was booked for simulation.
In the quarter-finals, Switzerland's Breel Embolo was sent off after a yellow card to Argentina's Leandro Paredes was reversed.
Embolo's second yellow left Switzerland with 10 men in a 1-1 match they lost in extra time.
New Offenses and Confusing Interpretations
Ifab approved a new sending-off offense: covering the mouth when communicating with an opponent in a provocative manner.
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