Match 4: USA : PAR - MAKKELIE (NED)

From the 26/27 Laws VAR section:

"If the referee penalises an offence but has clearly misidentified the player who committed that offence, only the identity of the offender can be reviewed."

And in the law change section:

"Reviewable decisions/incidents now include two infrequent but potentially match-changing errors:...Mistaken identity when the referee shows a yellow or red card but has clearly penalised the wrong player of either team for the offence in question; the offence itself cannot be reviewed except in the context of mistaken identity."

I don't interpret that as allowing this sort of reversal.

 

Did the definition of mistaken identity change or did I miss something?

Mistaken identity is giving a card to the wrong player, not giving an incorrect card.

It's not like someone else "fouled" Almiron. It was Ream.

 

Exactly!

 

Of course it’s what it means. They deliberately removed it and are leaving it crossed out. Clearly they want the option to award a yellow card for mistaken identity of a yellow card to the opposite team, which would be for both simulation but also I guess giving a completely wrong yellow card in a challenge (ex. Giving white player YC for hands to the face when it was actually dark)

And here it is in the law changes summary as well. Written clear as day in the IFAB app

 

Paraguay is kicking the crap out of Balogun and Tillman.

 

ArbitroInternacional posted the the Spanish edition of the VAR protocol which says (translated):

a red or yellow card shown to the wrong player when it was another player—from either team—who committed the infringement

I know the English language version is authoritative but this seems to be more supportive than the English phrasing

Minuto 53:
“El VAR puede revisar
-una tarjeta roja o amarilla mostrada al jugador equivocado cuando fue otro jugador, DE CUALQUIERA DE LOS DOS EQUIPOS, el que cometió la infracción”

Este cambio, motivado tras el error de Rojas en el Flamengo vs Estudiantes que le costó su… pic.twitter.com/mUHbNqyND2

— ArbitroInternacional (@ArbitroInteBlog) June 13, 2026

 

It's kind of irrelevant that we are complaining about this because in a years time all yellow cards will be reviewable just like all goal kicks will be reviewable so who really cares.

 

That stuff makes my brain hurt. And is the " hydration break" a forever thing, or just for this Cup?

 

Noticed that watching the women's USA v. Brazil match. The ref crew got alot of tv time in that game.

 

Because some games will need it, all games will have it to prevent a competitive advantage. That’s apparently the company line.

 

Here’s another wrinkle in this though: so you can only review a non-penalty-area simulation offense if you awarded a yellow card for it being a reckless or SPA challenge, right?

 

It says "the offence," not "an offence." The offense (sorry, I'm switching to the American spelling) that was originally called was a foul by Ream. Simulation is not the same offense.

The obvious reading here is the situation you mention about; the old law only allowed mistaken identity among players of the same team (i.e. you carded #11 blue but it was actually #17 blue).

But with all the different officials involved, I would assume someone would've said "Hey, we can't do this." And they didn't. So I assume they're doing as instructed.

 

I have been told by a current MLS VMO that this is a new addition to the VAR for the world cup and it is a correct application. Make of that what you will.