FIFA establishes a universal gesture to denounce racism

• The body will launch the anti-discrimination protocol during the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup | Photo: FIFA

The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) announced on Friday 30 August that it would introduce the universal gesture of arms crossed in the shape of a cross in all competitions, allowing players, referees and coaching staff to report any racist behaviour in stadiums.

FIFA has unanimously approved the implementation of the racist gesture and will launch it as a protocol against discrimination during the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Colombia.

How will the protocol be implemented?

The racist gesture will be implemented in all FIFA competitions and will be part of the three-tier procedure.

If a player crosses his hands at the wrist, as a sign that he is being subjected to racist insults, the head referee will activate the first level, in which the match will be stopped.

Photo: EFE.

If the incidents continue, the match will be temporarily suspended and both the players and the refereeing team will leave the field of play. If the incident continues during the temporary suspension, the match will be permanently suspended.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino said: “Introducing the racist incident gesture at the U-20 Women’s World Cup is a vital first step towards empowering footballers around the world.”

With information from EFE

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