Ecuador's Piero Hincapié got a red card at the World Cup on Tuesday night for covering his mouth. Not for a tackle. Not for a headbutt. For covering his mouth.
If that sounds strange, it's because this is a genuinely new rule — one FIFA pushed through specifically for this tournament, and one referees are clearly under instruction to enforce without hesitation.
Where the rule came from
The backstory starts in February, when Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni pulled his jersey over his face mid-confrontation with Vinícius Júnior during a Champions League match. Vinícius — backed by Kylian Mbappé — accused him of making a racially charged insult while hiding behind the fabric. FIFA president Gianni Infantino took that seriously enough to bring it to IFAB, the game's rule-making body, and they signed off unanimously.
The logic is simple: if you cover your mouth during a confrontation, you're almost certainly hiding something you know you shouldn't be saying. The rule doesn't require proof of what was said. The act of concealment is enough.
Nicknamed the "Prestianni Law," it's not a permanent addition to the Laws of the Game — IFAB made it optional, leaving it to tournament organizers to adopt. FIFA adopted it. Immediately.
Who's been punished so far
Hincapié wasn't the first. Paraguay's Miguel Almirón holds that distinction, sent off in a group stage match against Turkey for the same offense. Paraguay won 1-0 regardless, but Almirón sat out the following game, and FIFA confirmed the decision couldn't be appealed.
Hincapié's card came in second-half stoppage time of Ecuador's 2-0 loss to Mexico, during an exchange with Santi Giménez. The outcome was already settled, so the suspension is the real punishment — he'll miss Paraguay's next match.
- Red card = immediate ejection, team reduced to 10 players for the rest of the match
- One-game suspension automatically follows
- The suspended player can return after serving the ban
- No appeal process for the red card decision itself
Referees at this World Cup were briefed on this before the tournament began. Players were warned too. That two have already been caught suggests the message hasn't fully landed — or some players simply can't help themselves when temperatures rise.
Either way, the cameras are watching, the refs are watching, and the red card is coming out.
