World Cup group stage set for yellow card amnesty

Players will still be suspended if they pick up two yellow cards within the qualifying batch of fixtures Fifa is poised to change the rules around suspensions for accumulated yellow cards at this summer's World Cup. BBC Sport understands world football's governing body is planning to add a second amnesty stage, wiping all yellow cards at the end of the group stage as well as after the quarter-finals. Under current rules a team would play five matches to reach the quarter-finals, and any two bookings in those games would lead to a suspension.

The revamped World Cup, with 48 teams instead of 32, includes an extra round and it is felt the jeopardy for a ban is too high. Without a change to the regulations, Fifa fears that many more players would be walking a suspension tightrope by playing six fixtures through to the last eight - and potentially miss a semi-final. It is felt that two cut-offs are fairer - and less likely to result in suspensions for key games - than increasing the number of cards required for a ban to three.

The topic is on the agenda for discussion when the Fifa Council meets in Vancouver, Canada on Tuesday. Two bookings will remain the suspension threshold, but the rule change will mean there are only two small pockets of games for players to pick up a ban. It would require cautions in two of the three group games, or in two of the last 32, last 16 and the quarter-finals, to miss a match.