A brief exchange between Jude Bellingham and Ghana's Jordan Ayew during England's goalless draw on Tuesday drew attention when some supporters questioned why Bellingham was not dismissed for covering his mouth — a gesture that had earned Paraguay's Miguel Almiron a straight red card earlier at the same tournament.

The answer lies in the precise wording of the rule introduced by IFAB, the body responsible for the Laws of the Game.

What the rule actually says

IFAB's guidance states that a red card may be shown to "any player covering their mouth when communicating with an opponent in a provocative, derisory or inflammatory manner or situation." The rule is not a blanket prohibition on mouth-covering — context is everything.

FIFA's referee chief Pierluigi Collina had spelled this out before the tournament began. "Players can continue to cover their mouth with an arm and the shirt because they may chat with friends," Collina said. "It's normal to chat before, during or after the match — so if the conversation is a friendly conversation, they can continue to do it without any problem."

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

Two very different situations

The Almiron incident took place as a confrontation was developing around him following a foul involving Turkiye's Mert Muldur. That constituted a clear provocative or inflammatory situation, making the red card the correct decision under the rules.

Bellingham's exchange with Ayew was a stark contrast. Ayew placed his arm around Bellingham during the conversation, and the two players shared a brief embrace — unmistakable signs of a friendly interaction rather than a confrontational one.

With no inflammatory context present, the referee had no grounds to issue a red card, and the new rule was applied exactly as it was designed to be.