The International Football Association Board (IFAB) has clarified the scope of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR), stating that it cannot review or overturn a yellow card offence unless the incident involves mistaken identity, following a series of controversial officiating decisions at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
According to French outlet L’Équipe, which cited an IFAB circular, the football law-making body stated that “a yellow card, which is not a second yellow card, can only be reviewed to identify the player who committed the foul; the foul itself cannot be reviewed or changed.”
The report added that the clarification could be incorporated into future IFAB protocols and FIFA World Cup regulations, subject to formal approval.
The clarification comes amid renewed debate over the expanded use of VAR during the World Cup, where match officials were permitted to intervene in cases involving mistaken identity for yellow and red cards.
However, IFAB stressed that VAR’s role is limited to confirming the identity of the player being cautioned and cannot be used to overturn or alter the original offence, including incidents involving alleged simulation.
The clarification has also reignited controversy over the dismissal of Switzerland forward Breel Embolo during his side’s World Cup quarter-final defeat to Argentina.
During the match, Argentina’s Leandro Paredes was initially shown a yellow card for a foul on Embolo before VAR intervened, citing mistaken identity. The referee subsequently withdrew Paredes’ booking and instead cautioned Embolo for simulation, resulting in the Swiss striker receiving a second yellow card and being sent off.
According to the report, the referee should have changed only the identity of the player involved in the review rather than overturn the original disciplinary decision, making the intervention an incorrect application of the VAR protocol.
