FIFA today announced that any player who is sent off will have to serve an immediate one-match ban with no right of appeal. The ruling, announced today by FIFA president Sepp Blatter, will be enforced in every league in world. Red-carded players will miss the next match of the competition they were sent off in, and only be allowed to appeal against suspensions of more than one game or to claim a case of mistaken identity.
FIFA will be contacting all 204 national associations over the next few days to inform them of the decision - and the new ruling is expected to come into force next month. FIFA claim the ruling is aimed at protecting match officials after several cases in which referees' decisions have been undermined.
Filed by James Boylan.
