Why was Jude Bellingham not sent off for covering his mouth? Fifa's new rule explained

An image capturing England's Jude Bellingham with his hand over his mouth whilst speaking to Ghana's Jordan Ayew has sparked debate following the Three Lions' goalless World Cup encounter in Boston on Tuesday.

The photograph raised immediate questions given Fifa's newly implemented regulation for this tournament, which permits officials to dismiss players who conceal their mouths during exchanges with opponents.

Fifa president Gianni Infantino pushed for this rule change after Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni received a six-match suspension from Uefa for directing homophobic abuse at Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr in a Champions League fixture back in February.

The regulation has already been enforced, with Paraguay midfielder Miguel Almiron becoming its first recipient when VAR recommended his dismissal during his side's match against Turkey at the weekend.

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Bellingham appeared to commit the same offence, but the crucial distinction lies in the nature of the exchange between the two players.

Fifa's head of referees, Pierluigi Collina, outlined the parameters clearly before the tournament began.

He said: "Players can continue to cover their mouth with an arm and the shirt because they may chat with friends.

"It's normal to a chat before, during or after the match.

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"So if the conversation is a friendly conversation, they can continue to do it without any problem.

"When the conversation is confrontational, covering the mouth means that you are doing something very wrong, potentially, and the sanction is the red card."

Almiron's situation presented an entirely different set of circumstances.

The incident occurred amid a confrontation that erupted after Paraguay's Isidro Pitta went down, saying there was a late tackle from Turkey's Ismail Yuksek.

Players from both nations became involved in pushing and shoving.

Although Almiron and Turkey's Mert Muldur were not directly involved in the physical altercation, the Paraguayan winger covered his mouth while speaking to his opponent during this volatile moment.

Infantino defended the decision when speaking to SNTV on Tuesday, explaining that a red card is the only outcome.

The Fifa president said: "This thing about covering the mouth is for us a very, very important rule.

"It's about respect. It's about the example that we should give.

"If you have nothing to hide, you don't cover your mouth when you speak to somebody. The rules have been made very clear to everyone."

Almiron now faces a one-match suspension, ruling him out of his country's final group stage fixture against Australia - a match where both sides will likely need at least a point to progress to the knockout rounds.

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