Circular 1964 2026 edition of the FIFA Disciplinary Code
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Download PDFTO THE MEMBER ASSOCIATIONS OF FIFA
Circular no. 1964
Zurich, 6 May 2026
2026 edition of the FIFA Disciplinary Code
Dear Sir or Madam,
As part of FIFA’s continued commitment to tackling discrimination an d racist abuse, as well as providing greater clarity to parties involved in disciplinary proceedings and ensur ing consistenc y with other FIFA regulations and recent case law of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (C AS), we are pleased to present the 2026 edition of the FIFA Disciplinary Code ( FDC ), which will enter into force on 1 May 2026 .
The latest edition of the FDC was adopted by the FIFA Council at its meeting in Vancouver, Canada, on 28 April 2026 and includes the following key changes:
i) Discrimination and racist abuse : article 15 has been amended to allow for the partial commutation of sanctions where an individual admits to a racist or discriminatory act. The rule now provides that if a player or official confesses to committing such an act, half of the sanction may, at the discretion of the judicial body, be commuted to education al, communication and training initiatives to be approved by FIFA. This development will play an important role in creating an incentive for individuals to come forward and take responsibility for racist or discriminatory misconduct , while maintaining accountability.
ii) Unplayed matches and abandonment : to account for cases where a team leaves the field of play in dissent against a refereeing decision, article 16 has been amended to determine a forfeiture in those situations in addition to any other disciplinary measure.
iii) Doping : To bring the FDC in line with the principles of the W orld A nti- D oping A gency Code (2027 edition), changes have been made to articles 36, 56, 57, 60, 61 and 70 of the FDC in relation to doping proceedings: a) Disciplinary and Ethics Prosecutors must always be appointed in cases concerning potential breaches of the FIFA Anti - Doping Regulations, and b) doping - related cases must always be referred directly to the Appeal Committee for adjudication.
Fédération Internationale de Football Association www.FIFA.com iv) Public holidays and fines in USD : As the FIFA judicial bodies , assisted by the FIFA general secretariat , operate from Miami, Florida (United States), the time zone in Miami and federal holidays in the United States will be taken into account with respect to time limits stipulated in the FDC. Furthermore, all fines will be in USD. These changes are reflected in articles 6, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 38, 60, 61 and 64 and in Annexe 1 to the FDC.
v) Sanction for forgery and falsification : To bring more clarity and legal consistency to article 22 of the FDC in light of recent CAS case law , the provision has been adjusted to establish that offences involving forgery or falsification will result in a fine and a suspension or a ban on taking part in any football - related activity for a specific period of no less than 12 months.
vi) Team misconduct : Causing a l ate kick - off is now explicitly listed as a n example of team misconduct under article 14 of the FDC to bring the provision in line with Annexe 1 to the FDC and FIFA case law .
vii) Failure to comply with decisions : F ootball agents and match agents (and a corresponding sanction of a suspension of the relevant licence) are now explicitly listed within the scope of art icle 21 of the FDC to provide more legal certainty for stakeholders. Furthermore, “public perception” is listed as a criterion for assessing sporting succession to bring the provision in line with FIFA and CAS case law .
Finally, other amendments have been made to the FDC with the aim of incorporat ing best practice , optimis ing proceedings and provid ing legal certainty , while also accounting for the increasing number of cases and FIFA ’s updated competition roster . These changes are reflected in articles 30, 33, 35, 38, 48, 49, 57, 64, 69 and 70 of the FDC and part III of Annexe 1 .
Should you have any questions or require further clarification, please do not hesitate to contact Américo Espallargas, Head of Disciplinary , at disciplinary@fifa.org .
Yours faithfully,
FÉDÉRATION INTERNATIONALE DE FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION
Mattias Grafström Secretary General
Encl.: FIFA Disciplinary Code ( May 2026 edition)
cc: - FIFA Council
2
- Confederations
- FIFA judicial bodies
- Football Tribunal
- European Football Clubs
- FIFPRO
- World Leagues Association
3 FIFA Disciplinary Code MAY 2026 EDITION Fédération Internationale de Football Association President: Gianni Infantino Secretary General: Mattias Grafström Website: FIFA.com 3
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. GENERAL PROVISIONS 7
1. Object 8
2. Scope of application: substantive law 8
3. Scope of personal application 8
4. Scope of temporal application 9
5. Applicable law 9
6. Disciplinary measures 9
7. Directives 10
8. Responsibility 11
9. Decisions of the referee 11
10. Limitation period for prosecution 11
11. Duty to report 12
12. Duty to collaborate 12
II. OFFENCES 13
CHAPTER 1. INFRINGEMENTS OF THE LAWS OF THE GAME 14
13. Offensive behaviour and violations of the principles of fair play 14 Table of contents
CHAPTER 2. D ISORDERLINESS AT MATCHES AND COMPETITIONS 15
14. Misconduct of players and officials 15
15. Discrimination and racist abuse 16
16. Unplayed matches and abandonment 18
17. Order and security at matches 19
18. Protests 20 4
19. Fielding an ineligible player 20
20. Manipulation of football matches and competitions 21
CHAPTER 3. OTHER PROVISIONS 22
21. Failure to respect decisions 22
22. Forgery and falsification 25
23. Specific proceedings 25
CHAPTER 4. IMPLEMENTATION OF DISCIPLINARY MEASURES 26
24. Enforcement of sanctions 26
25. Determining the disciplinary measure 26
26. Recidivism 26
27. Suspension of implementation of disciplinary measures 27
28. Forfeit 27
29. Matches to be played without spectators 27
III. ORGANISATION AND COMPETENCE 29
CHAPTER 1. GENERAL PROVISIONS 30
30. General rule 30
31. Composition of the FIFA judicial bodies 31
32. Independence and impartiality 31
33. Meetings 32
34. Confidentiality 32
35. Secretariat 32
36. Disciplinary and Ethics Prosecutors 33
37. Exemption from liability 33
38. Time limits 34
39. Evidence, evaluation of evidence and standard of proof 34
40. Match officials’ reports 34
41. Burden of proof 35
42. Witnesses 35 5
43. Anonymous participants in proceedings 35
44. Identification of anonymous participants in proceedings 36
45. Representation and assistance 36
46. Legal aid 36
47. Language used in proceedings 37
48. Communication with the parties 37
49. Costs and expenses 38
50. Effects of decisions 38
51. Provisional measures 38
52. Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) 39
CHAPTER 2. D ECISION-MAKING PROCESS 40
53. Convocation, rights of the parties, hearings, decisions, communications and confidentiality 40
54. Decisions 41
CHAPTER 3. DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE 43
55. Commencement of proceedings 43
56. Jurisdiction 43
57. Jurisdiction of the single judges of the Disciplinary Committee 44
58. Proposal by the secretariat 44
59. Closure of proceedings 44
CHAPTER 4. APPEAL COMMITTEE 45
60. Jurisdiction 45
61. Admissibility of appeals 45
62. Standing to appeal 46
63. Deliberations and decisions 46
64. Jurisdiction of the chairperson ruling alone 46 Table of contents
65. Effects of appeal 47
6
IV. SPECIAL PROCEDURES 48
66. Expulsion and match suspension 49
67. Carrying over cautions 50
68. Cancellation of cautions 50
69. Carrying over match suspensions 50
70. Extending sanctions to have worldwide effect 52
71. Review 53
V. FINAL PROVISIONS 54
72. Official languages 55
73. Gender and number 55
74. Specific disciplinary rules 55
75. Member associations’ disciplinary codes 55
76. Adoption and enforcement 56
ANNEXE 57
Annexe 1: List of disciplinary measures 58
I. GENERAL PROVISIONS 8
1. OBJECT This Code describes infringements of the rules in FIFA regulations, determines the sanctions incurred, regulates the organisation and function of the FIFA judicial bodies responsible for taking decisions and the procedures to be followed before said bodies.
2. SCOPE OF APPLICATION: SUBSTANTIVE LAW
1. This Code applies to every match and competition organised by FIFA and to matches and competitions in association football that do not fall under the jurisdiction of the confederations and/or the member associations, unless otherwise stipulated in this Code.
2. This Code also applies to any breach of FIFA’s statutory objectives as well as of any FIFA rule that does not fall under the jurisdiction of any other FIFA body.
3. SCOPE OF PERSONAL APPLICATION The following are subject to this Code:
a) member associations;
b) members of member associations, in particular the clubs;
c) officials;
d) players;
e) match officials;
f) football agents licensed by FIFA;
g) match agents licensed by FIFA;
h) single-entity leagues;
i) anyone elected or assigned by FIFA to exercise a function, in particular with regard to a match, competition or other event organised by FIFA. 9
4. SCOPE OF TEMPORAL APPLICATION
1. This Code applies to all disciplinary offences committed following the date on which it comes into force.
2. This Code also applies to all disciplinary offences committed prior to the date on which it comes into force, subject to any milder sanction that would apply under previous rules.
3. Disciplinary proceedings instigated against someone who was under FIFA’s jurisdiction as per article 3 on the day the alleged disciplinary offence was committed shall not be abandoned by the FIFA judicial bodies solely because the person involved is no longer under FIFA’s jurisdiction.
5. APPLICABLE LAW The FIFA judicial bodies base their decisions:
a) primarily, on the FIFA Statutes as well as FIFA’s regulations, circulars, directives and decisions, and the Laws of the Game; and
b) subsidiarily, on Swiss law and any other law that the competent judicial body deems applicable.
6. DISCIPLINARY MEASURES
1. The following disciplinary measures may be imposed on natural and legal persons:
a) warning; b) reprimand; c) fine or any other pecuniary measure; d) return of awards; e) withdrawal of a title; f) order to fulfil a financial obligation arising or existing in the context of a trial.
2. The following disciplinary measures may be imposed on natural persons only:
a) suspension for a specific number of matches or for a specific period; General Provisions
b) ban from dressing rooms and/or team bench; c) ban on taking part in any football-related activity; d) community football service; e) suspension or withdrawal of a football agent licence; f) suspension or withdrawal of a match agent licence. I. 10
3. The following disciplinary measures may be imposed on legal persons only:
a) ban on registering new players;
b) playing a match without spectators;
c) playing a match with a limited number of spectators;
d) playing a match on neutral territory;
e) ban on playing in a particular stadium;
f) annulment of the result of a match;
g) deduction of points;
h) relegation to a lower division;
i) expulsion from a competition in progress or from future competitions;
j) forfeit;
k) replaying a match;
l) implementation of a prevention plan;
m) forfeiture of training rewards that are due;
n) payment of restitution to an affiliated club;
o) payment of a specific amount to a club or a member association.
4. In general, fines shall not be less than USD 100 or more than USD 1,000,000. However, fines in relation to specific provisions of this Code may extend beyond that range.
5. Member associations are jointly liable for fines imposed on representative team players and officials. The same applies to clubs in respect of their players and officials.
6. The disciplinary measures provided for in this Code may be combined.
7. DIRECTIVES
1. Directives require those affected by them to behave in a certain manner.
2. In addition to disciplinary measures, the FIFA judicial bodies may issue directives stipulating the manner in which a disciplinary measure must be carried out, including the date and conditions on which the disciplinary measure is enforced.
3. The FIFA judicial bodies may also award compensation for damage where an association or club is liable for that damage on the basis of article 8 or 17. 11
8. RESPONSIBILITY
1. Unless otherwise specified in this Code, infringements are punishable regardless of whether they have been committed deliberately or negligently. In particular, member associations and clubs may be responsible for the behaviour of their members, players, officials or supporters or any other person carrying out a function on their behalf even if the association or club concerned can prove the absence of any fault or negligence.
2. Acts amounting to attempt are also punishable.
3. Anyone who takes part in committing an infringement or induces someone to do so, whether as instigator or accomplice, may also be sanctioned.
9. DECISIONS OF THE REFEREE
1. Decisions taken by the referee on the field of play are final and may not be reviewed by the FIFA judicial bodies.
2. In cases where a decision by the referee involves an obvious error (such as mistaking the identity of the person penalised), the FIFA judicial bodies may only review the disciplinary consequences of that decision. In cases of mistaken identity, disciplinary proceedings may, in accordance with this Code, be opened only against the person who was actually at fault.
3. A protest against a caution or a sending-off from the field of play after two cautions is admissible only if the referee’s error was to mistake the identity of the player.
4. In cases of serious misconduct, disciplinary action may be taken even if the referee and their assistants did not see the event in question and were therefore unable to take any action.
5. The provisions of this Code relating to protests against match results affected by a referee’s decision that was an obvious violation of a rule remain applicable.
10. LIMITATION PERIOD FOR PROSECUTION
1. Infringements may no longer be prosecuted in accordance with the following General Provisions
periods:
a) two years for infringements committed during a match;
b) ten years for anti-doping rule violations (as defined in the FIFA Anti‑Doping Regulations), infringements relating to international transfers involving minors, and match manipulation;
c) five years for all other offences. I. 12
2. The limitation period runs as follows:
a) from the day on which the perpetrator committed the infringement;
b) if the infringement is recurrent, from the day on which the most recent infringement was committed;
c) if the infringement lasted for a certain period, from the day on which it ended;
d) from the day on which the decision of the Football Tribunal or the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) becomes final and binding.
3. The limitation periods set out above are interrupted by all procedural acts, starting afresh with each interruption.
11. DUTY TO REPORT
1. Anyone subject to this Code shall immediately report to the secretariat of the Disciplinary Committee any violation of, or attempt to violate, this Code by any third party.
2. Anyone subject to this Code who makes an unfounded or irresponsible accusation may be sanctioned.
12. DUTY TO COLLABORATE
1. The parties shall act in good faith throughout the proceedings.
2. The parties or the persons subject to this Code shall collaborate to establish the facts and, in particular, comply with requests for information from a FIFA body, committee, subsidiary or instance, as well as from the FIFA administration.
3. In particular, persons subject to this Code shall help to establish and/or clarify the facts of a case or any possible breaches of this Code and, in particular, shall provide any evidence requested.
4. Any breach of this article by any person subject to this Code may lead to the appropriate sanctions being imposed by the relevant judicial body.
5. If the parties fail to collaborate, especially if they ignore the stipulated time limits, the judicial body may nonetheless reach a decision on the case using the file in its possession. II.
OFFENCES 14
CHAPTER 1. INFRINGEMENTS OF THE LAWS OF THE GAME
13. OFFENSIVE BEHAVIOUR AND VIOLATIONS OF THE PRINCIPLES OF FAIR PLAY
1. Member associations and clubs, as well as their players, officials and any other member and/or person carrying out a function on their behalf, must respect the Laws of the Game, as well as the FIFA Statutes and FIFA’s regulations, directives, guidelines, circulars and decisions, and comply with the principles of fair play, loyalty and integrity.
2. For example, anyone who acts in any of the following ways may be subject to disciplinary measures:
a) violating the basic rules of decent conduct;
b) insulting a natural or legal person in any way, especially by using offensive gestures, signs or language;
c) using a sports event for demonstrations of a non-sporting nature;
d) behaving in a way that brings the sport of football and/or FIFA into disrepute;
e) actively altering the age of players shown on the identity cards they produce at competitions that are subject to age limits. 15
CHAPTER 2. DISORDERLINESS AT MATCHES AND COMPETITIONS
14. MISCONDUCT OF PLAYERS AND OFFICIALS
1. Players and officials shall be suspended for misconduct as specified below and may be fined accordingly:
a) one match for players who are sent off for denying the opposing team a goal or an obvious goalscoring opportunity;
b) at least one match or an appropriate period of time for unsporting behaviour towards an opponent or a person other than a match official;
c) at least one match for officials who are sent off for dissent by word or action;
d) at least one match for deliberately receiving a yellow or red card, including in order to be suspended for an upcoming match or to ultimately have a clean record;
e) at least two matches for serious foul play;
f) at least two matches for provoking spectators at a match by any means;
g) at least two matches or a specific period for acting with obvious intent to cause a match official to make an incorrect decision or supporting their error of judgement and thereby causing them to make an incorrect decision;
h) at least three matches for violent conduct;
i) at least three matches or an appropriate period of time for assault, including elbowing, punching, kicking, biting, spitting at or hitting an opponent or a person other than a match official;
j) at least four matches or an appropriate period of time for unsporting behaviour towards a match official;
k) at least ten matches or an appropriate period of time for intimidating or threatening a match official;
l) at least 15 matches or an appropriate period of time for assaulting a match official, including elbowing, punching, kicking, biting, spitting or hitting.
2. The misconduct described in paragraph 1 b), f), j) and k) is also subject to the Offences
respective sanctions in this Code, despite the fact that the offence has been committed off the field of play (including via social networks).
II. 16
3. If the suspension is to be served in terms of matches, only those actually played by the respective team count towards execution of the suspension. It is not necessary for a player to be included on the team sheet for the respective match or competition in order for a match suspension to be considered served.
4. A player or official who, in the context of a match (including pre‑ and post‑match) or competition, publicly incites others to hatred or violence will be sanctioned with a ban on taking part in any football-related activity for no less than six months and with a minimum fine of USD 5,000. In serious cases, in addition to the above sanctions and in particular if the infringement is committed using social networks and/or the mass media (such as the press, radio or television) or takes place on a matchday in or around a stadium, the minimum fine will be USD 20,000.
5. If a national or club team conducts itself improperly (including but not limited to causing a late kick-off or if individual disciplinary sanctions are imposed by the referee on five or more players – three or more in the case of futsal – during a match), disciplinary measures may also be taken against the association or club concerned.
6. Additional disciplinary measures may also be imposed in all cases.
15. DISCRIMINATION AND RACIST ABUSE
1. Any person who offends the dignity or integrity of a country, a person or group of people through contemptuous, discriminatory or derogatory words or actions on account of race, skin colour, ethnicity, nationality, social origin, gender, disability, sexual orientation, language, religion, political or any other opinion, wealth, birth or any other status or any other reason shall be sanctioned with a suspension lasting at least ten matches or a specific period, or any other appropriate disciplinary measure.
2. Member associations and clubs shall take all necessary and reasonable measures to ban from entering stadiums any person who has been charged with, or found guilty of, having racially abused a player, match official, coach, other team official or any other person exercising an official role during a match through contemptuous, discriminatory or derogatory words or actions on account of race, skin colour, descent, nationality or ethnicity, including via social media or any other digital platform or written medium.
3. In the event of racist abuse occurring during a match, the referee will implement FIFA’s three-step anti-discrimination procedure, in line with the relevant regulations and circular letters. The procedure allows the referee to 1) stop the match, 2) suspend the match and 3) abandon the match.
4. Any player or official who is the victim of racist abuse by the crowd during a match may inform the referee by using the appropriate gesture, as outlined in the relevant FIFA rules, or by any other means. The referee may then immediately implement the first step of FIFA’s three-step anti-discrimination procedure, as described in 17
paragraph 3 above. Subsequently, the host club, member association or organising authority shall immediately deploy the necessary personnel to the relevant section of the stadium with the aim of stopping the racist abuse. The player or official may also identify the person(s) involved in perpetrating such abuse and request that they be removed from the stadium whenever possible. If they cannot be removed due to security reasons and the racist abuse continues, the referee may implement the second step of FIFA’s three-step anti-discrimination procedure until the abuse desists.
5. In cases where the racist abuse has been personally verified by the referee and the second step of FIFA’s three-step anti-discrimination procedure (i.e. suspend the match) has been applied per paragraph 3 above, the player or official who has been subjected to the abuse may provide the Disciplinary Committee with a victim statement. If the club or member association concerned is unable to provide enough evidence or clarification to disprove the racist abuse alleged by the player or official, the player or official’s statement will be accepted. In such cases, and after all the relevant circumstances have been considered, the Disciplinary Committee may decide to declare the match forfeited by the responsible club or member association.
6. If one or more supporters of a representative team or club engage in the behaviour described in paragraph 1 above, the member association or club responsible will be subject to the following disciplinary measures, even if the member association or club concerned can prove the absence of any fault or negligence:
a) For a first offence, playing a match with a limited number of spectators and a fine of at least USD 20,000 shall be imposed on the association or club concerned, unless this would lead to an unreasonable financial impact on the affected member association or club, in which case the fine may be reduced, on an exceptional basis, to no less than USD 1,000. As an exception to article 6.4 of this Code, the maximum fine to be imposed in cases of racist abuse against a player, match official, coach, other team official or any other person exercising an official role during a match shall be USD 5,000,000;
b) For recidivists or repeat incidents, or if the circumstances of the case require it, disciplinary measures such as the implementation of a prevention plan, a fine, a points deduction, playing one or more matches without spectators, a ban on playing in a particular stadium, the forfeiting of a match, expulsion from a competition or relegation to a lower division may be imposed on the association or club concerned. Offences
7. The competent judicial body may deviate from the above minimum sanctions in either of the following scenarios:
a) The discrimination was perpetrated by a player or official who subsequently admits the offence, in which case up to half of the sanction may, at the II. discretion of the judicial body, be commuted to educational, communication and training initiatives to be approved by FIFA. 18
b) The association and/or club concerned commits to developing, in conjunction with FIFA, a comprehensive plan to ensure action against discrimination and to prevent repeated incidents. The plan shall be approved by FIFA and shall include, at least, the following three focus areas:
i. Educational activities (including a communication campaign aimed at supporters and the general public). The effectiveness of the campaign will be reviewed regularly.
ii. Stadium security and dialogue measures (including a policy on how offenders will be identified and dealt with through football sanctions, a policy on escalation to state (criminal) legal authorities, and a dialogue with supporters and influencers on how to create change).
iii. Partnerships (including working with supporters, NGOs, experts and stakeholders to advise on and support the action plan and ensure effective and ongoing implementation).
8. Persons who are bound by this Code and have been the victim of potential discriminatory behaviour may be invited by the respective judicial body to make an oral or written victim impact statement, and will have the right to request the motivated decision in proceedings before the judicial bodies, as well as to lodge an appeal and act as party in the disciplinary appeal proceedings in accordance with the applicable provisions of this Code.
9. Unless there are exceptional circumstances, if a match is abandoned by the referee because of discriminatory behaviour and/or racist abuse, the match shall be declared forfeited.
16. UNPLAYED MATCHES AND ABANDONMENT
1. If a match cannot take place or cannot be played in full for reasons other than force majeure, but due to the behaviour of a team or behaviour for which an association or a club is liable, the association or the club will be sanctioned with a minimum fine of USD 10,000. The match will either be forfeited or replayed, and additional disciplinary measures may be imposed on the association or club concerned.
2. As an exception to the above, a replay does not apply if a match is abandoned because a team has left the field of play in protest at a refereeing decision. In such cases, the sanction imposed on the corresponding association or club shall be a forfeiture and any other disciplinary measure deemed adequate by the judicial body.
3. If a match was abandoned and is to be replayed in full, any caution issued during that match shall be annulled. If a match was abandoned, in particular for reasons of force majeure, and it recommences at the minute at which play was interrupted, any caution imposed before the match was abandoned remains valid for the remainder of the match. If the match is not to be replayed, the cautions received by the teams shall be upheld. 19
17. ORDER AND SECURITY AT MATCHES
1. Host clubs and member associations are responsible for order and security both in and around the stadium before, during and after matches. Without prejudice to their responsibility for the inappropriate behaviour of their own supporters, they are liable for incidents of any kind, including but not limited to those listed in paragraph 2 below, and may be subject to disciplinary measures and directives unless they can prove that they have not been negligent in any way in the organisation of the match. In particular, member associations, clubs and licensed match agents who organise matches shall:
a) assess the degree of risk posed by the match and notify the FIFA bodies of those that are especially high-risk;
b) comply with and implement existing safety rules (FIFA regulations, national laws, international agreements) and take every safety precaution demanded by the circumstances in and around the stadium before, during and after the match and if incidents occur;
c) ensure the safety of the match officials and the players and officials of the visiting team during their stay;
d) keep local authorities informed and collaborate with them actively and effectively;
e) ensure that law and order are maintained in and around the stadiums and that matches are organised properly.
2. All member associations and clubs are liable for inappropriate behaviour on the part of one or more of their supporters as stated below and may be subject to disciplinary measures and directives even if they can prove the absence of any negligence in relation to the organisation of the match:
a) the invasion or attempted invasion of the field of play;
b) the throwing of objects;
c) the lighting of fireworks or any other objects;
d) the use of laser pointers or similar electronic devices;
e) the use of gestures, words, objects or any other means to transmit a message that is not appropriate for a sports event, particularly messages that are of a political, ideological, religious or offensive nature; Offences
f) acts of damage;
g) causing a disturbance during national anthems;
h) any other lack of order or discipline observed in or around the stadium. II. 20
18. PROTESTS
1. Member associations and their clubs are entitled to lodge protests. Protests must reach the Disciplinary Committee in writing via the FIFA Legal Portal, indicating the relevant grounds, within 24 hours of the end of the match in question.
2. The 24-hour time limit cannot be extended. For the sake of the smooth running of the competition, the corresponding competition regulations may shorten the protest deadline accordingly.
3. The protest fee is USD 1,000. It must be paid when the protest is lodged and is reimbursed only if the protest is admitted in full.
4. A protest is admissible only if the protest fee is paid in accordance with paragraph 3 above and only if it is based on:
a) an ineligible player’s participation in a match as a consequence of that player not fulfilling the conditions defined in the relevant FIFA regulations;
b) an unfit field of play, as long as the referee was informed as soon as the problem was reported or observed (whether in writing before the match, or orally by a team captain, in the presence of the captain of the opposing team, during the match);
c) an obvious error by the referee as defined in article 9 of this Code, in which case the protest may be directed only at the disciplinary consequences of the referee’s obvious error.
19. FIELDING AN INELIGIBLE PLAYER
1. If a player fielded in a match and/or competition is declared ineligible, the FIFA judicial bodies, taking into consideration the integrity of the competition concerned, may impose any appropriate disciplinary measures.
2. If a player fielded in a match is declared ineligible following a protest, the team to which the player belongs will be sanctioned by forfeiting the match and paying a minimum fine of USD 6,000. The player may also be sanctioned.
3. The Disciplinary Committee may act ex officio. 21
20. MANIPULATION OF FOOTBALL MATCHES AND COMPETITIONS
1. Anyone who directly or indirectly, by an act or an omission, unlawfully influences or manipulates the course, result or any other aspect of a match and/or competition or conspires or attempts to do so by any means shall be sanctioned with a minimum five-year ban on taking part in any football‑related activity as well as a fine of at least USD 100,000. In serious cases, a longer ban period, including a potential lifetime ban on taking part in any football-related activity, shall be imposed.
2. If a player or official engages in behaviour described in paragraph 1, the club or association to which the player or official belongs may be sanctioned with the forfeiting of the match in question or may be declared ineligible to participate in a different competition, provided the integrity of the competition is protected. Additional disciplinary measures may be imposed.
3. Persons bound by this Code must cooperate fully with FIFA at all times in its efforts to combat such behaviour and shall therefore immediately and voluntarily report to the secretariat of the Disciplinary Committee any approach in connection with activities and/or information directly or indirectly related to the possible manipulation of a football match or competition as described above. Any breach of this provision shall be sanctioned with a ban of at least two years on taking part in any football related activity and a fine of at least USD 15,000.
4. The Disciplinary Committee shall be competent to investigate and adjudicate all conduct on and off the field of play in connection with the manipulation of football matches and competitions.
Offences
II. 22
CHAPTER 3. O THER PROVISIONS
21. FAILURE TO RESPECT DECISIONS
1. Anyone who fails to pay another person (such as a player, a coach, a football agent, a match agent or a club) or FIFA a sum of money in full or part, even though instructed to do so by a body, a committee, a subsidiary or an instance of FIFA or a CAS decision (financial decision), or anyone who fails to comply with another final decision (non-financial decision) passed by a body, a committee, a subsidiary or an instance of FIFA, or by CAS:
a) may be fined for failing to comply with a decision and receive any pertinent additional disciplinary measure; and, if necessary:
b) will be granted a final deadline in which to pay the amount due or to comply with the non-financial decision;
c) may be ordered to pay an interest rate of 18% p.a. to the creditor as from the date of the decision of the Disciplinary Committee rendered in connection to a CAS decision on an appeal against a (financial) decision passed by a body, a committee, a subsidiary or an instance of FIFA;
d) in the case of clubs, upon expiry of the aforementioned final deadline and in the event of persistent default or failure to comply in full with the decision within the period stipulated, a ban on registering new players will be issued until the complete amount due is paid or the non-financial decision is complied with. A deduction of points or relegation to a lower division may also be ordered in addition to a ban on registering new players in the event of persistent failure (i.e. the ban on registering new players has been served for more than three entire and consecutive registration periods following the notification of the decision), repeated offences or serious infringements or if no full registration ban could be imposed or served for any reason;
e) in the case of member associations, upon expiry of the aforementioned final deadline and in the event of persistent default or failure to comply in full with the decision within the period stipulated, additional disciplinary measures may be imposed;
f) in the case of natural persons, upon expiry of the aforementioned final deadline and in the event of persistent default or failure to comply in full with the decision within the period stipulated, a ban on any football‑related activity and/or a suspension of the relevant licence for a specific period may be imposed. Other disciplinary measures may also be imposed. 23
2. With regard to financial decisions passed by a body, a committee, a subsidiary or an instance of FIFA, or CAS, disciplinary proceedings may only commence at the request of the creditor or any other affected party who is entitled to be notified of the final outcome of the said disciplinary proceedings, including the motivated decision if so requested.
3. If the sanctioned person disregards the final time limit, FIFA and/or the relevant association (in cases involving clubs or natural persons) shall implement the sanctions imposed. Where a registration ban (in the case of a club), a ban on any football-related activity and/or a suspension of the relevant licence (in the case of a natural person) or a disciplinary measure (in the case of member associations) has been enforced against a debtor in accordance with this article in relation to a financial obligation resulting from a CAS or FIFA decision and where the debtor provides FIFA with reliable evidence of having complied with such decision, such ban or measure may be provisionally lifted.
The creditor will be invited to confirm whether such payment has been made.
a) Should the debtor have provided accurate information and fully settled its financial obligation, the ban or measure is considered permanently lifted.
b) Should the debtor have provided inaccurate information and/or have failed to comply with its financial obligation in full, the Disciplinary Committee may decide to:
i. reinstate the ban or measure; and
ii. impose additional disciplinary measures.
4. The sporting successor of a non-compliant party shall also be considered a non‑compliant party and thus subject to the obligations under this provision. Criteria to assess whether an entity is to be considered as the sporting successor of another entity are, among others, its headquarters, name, legal form, team colours, players, public perception, shareholders or stakeholders or ownership and the category of competition concerned.
5. With regard to financial decisions passed by a body, a committee, a subsidiary or an instance of FIFA, or CAS, creditors are expected to remain vigilant and take prompt legal action to enforce any financial claims arising from such decisions, including by actively registering their claims in accordance with the relevant domestic insolvency or bankruptcy proceedings, unless said claims are registered ex officio in those proceedings. Offences
a) Debtors must notify creditors in a timely and reasonable manner about the initiation of domestic insolvency or bankruptcy proceedings, and no later than 15 days after becoming aware of the initiation of such proceedings. They must also outline the creditors’ rights in the proceedings and the methods available II. to the creditors for registering a claim. 24
b) Creditors shall be considered negligent if they fail to register their claims without valid justification and despite having been informed by the debtor about the initiation of domestic insolvency or bankruptcy proceedings.
c) Creditors shall not be considered negligent if they are unable to register their claims in the relevant domestic insolvency or bankruptcy proceedings if the financial decision passed by a body, a committee, a subsidiary or an instance of FIFA, or CAS, is issued when the domestic registration period for claims has expired and cannot be reopened.
6. Any financial or non-financial decision that has been issued against a club by a competent decision-making body within the relevant association shall be enforced by the association of the deciding body that has issued the decision in accordance with the principles established in this article and in compliance with the applicable disciplinary regulations. An association will be fined for failing to enforce the decision in accordance with this article. In the event of persistent failure to enforce the decision, additional disciplinary measures may be imposed on the association.
7. Any financial or non-financial decision that has been issued against a natural person by a competent decision-making body within the relevant association shall be enforced by the association of the deciding body that has issued the decision or by the natural person’s new association, if the natural person has, in the meantime, been registered or licensed at another association, or otherwise employed by a club affiliated to another association or by another association, in accordance with the principles established in this article and in compliance with the applicable disciplinary regulations. An association will be fined for failing to enforce the decision in accordance with this article. In the event of persistent failure to enforce the decision, additional disciplinary measures may be imposed on the association.
8. Any financial decision issued by the Football Tribunal or FIFA imposing disciplinary measures, such as a ban from registering any new players – either nationally or internationally – or a restriction on playing in official matches, will be automatically enforced by FIFA and the relevant member association. FIFA will be competent to deal with any issue relating to the enforcement of such decisions, including but not limited to the potential recognition of the sporting successor and the assessment of potential insolvency or bankruptcy proceedings.
9. Where a decision issued by the FIFA Football Tribunal or a proposal confirmed by the FIFA general secretariat contains consequences for failure to pay relevant amounts on time and the debtor has not provided proof of payment after such consequences have been served in full, the Disciplinary Committee may decide to provisionally extend such consequences until a final decision has been rendered by this judicial body in accordance with this article. 25
10. The Disciplinary Committee shall be competent to decide on cases related to the failure to respect settlement agreements concluded in the context of disciplinary proceedings opened against a debtor with respect to a final and binding financial decision issued by a body, a committee, a subsidiary or an instance of FIFA or by CAS. This shall include private agreements concluded after any decision passed by a body, a committee, a subsidiary or an instance of FIFA or by CAS and made in order to settle their dispute.
11. Disciplinary proceedings for failing to respect a final CAS decision rendered in the context of ordinary proceedings may be initiated provided that the respective CAS procedure started after 15 July 2019.
22. FORGERY AND FALSIFICATION
1. Anyone who, in football-related activities, forges a document, falsifies an authentic document or uses a forged or falsified document will be sanctioned with a fine and a suspension or a ban on taking part in any football-related activity for a specific period of no less than 12 months.
2. An association or a club may be held liable for an act of forgery or falsification by one of its officials and/or players.
23. SPECIFIC PROCEEDINGS
1. Doping is sanctioned in accordance with the FIFA Anti-Doping Regulations and this Code.
2. Breaches of the FIFA Football Agent Regulations are sanctioned in accordance with the FIFA Football Agent Regulations and this Code.
3. Breaches of the FIFA Match Agent Regulations are sanctioned in accordance with the FIFA Match Agent Regulations and this Code.
4. Breaches of the FIFA Clearing House Regulations are sanctioned in accordance with the FIFA Clearing House Regulations and this Code. Offences
II. 26
CHAPTER 4. IMPLEMENTATION OF DISCIPLINARY MEASURES
24. ENFORCEMENT OF SANCTIONS
1. The limitation period to enforce disciplinary measures is five years.
2. The limitation period begins on the day on which the final decision comes into force.
25. DETERMINING THE DISCIPLINARY MEASURE
1. The judicial body determines the type and extent of the disciplinary measures to be imposed in accordance with the objective and subjective elements of the offence, taking into account both aggravating and mitigating circumstances.
2. Disciplinary measures may be limited to a geographical area or to one or more specific categories of match or competition.
3. When determining the disciplinary measure, the judicial body shall take into account all relevant factors of the case, including any assistance of and substantial cooperation by the offender in uncovering or establishing a breach of any FIFA rule, the circumstances and the degree of the offender’s guilt and any other relevant circumstances.
4. In exercising its discretionary powers, the relevant FIFA judicial body may scale down the disciplinary measure to be imposed or even dispense with it entirely.
26. RECIDIVISM
1. Recidivism occurs if another offence of a similar nature and gravity is committed after notification of the previous decision within:
a) one year of the previous offence if that offence was sanctioned with a suspension of up to two matches;
b) two years of the previous offence if that offence related to order and security;
c) ten years of the previous offence if that offence related to match manipulation or corruption;
d) three years of the previous offence in all other cases.
2. Recidivism counts as an aggravating circumstance.
3. Recidivism in doping matters is subject to the rules of the FIFA Anti-Doping Regulations. 27
27. SUSPENSION OF IMPLEMENTATION OF DISCIPLINARY MEASURES
1. The judicial body may decide to fully or partially suspend the implementation of a disciplinary measure.
2. By suspending the implementation of the sanction, the judicial body subjects the person sanctioned to a probationary period of one to four years.
3. If the person benefiting from a suspended sanction commits another infringement of a similar nature and gravity during the probationary period, the suspension shall be revoked by the judicial body and the sanction enforced without prejudice to any additional sanction imposed for the new infringement.
4. Disciplinary measures relating to match manipulation cannot be suspended.
28. FORFEIT
1. A team sanctioned with a forfeit is considered to have lost the match 3-0 in 11-a-side football, 5-0 in futsal or 10-0 in beach soccer. If the goal difference at the end of the match is less favourable to the team at fault, the result on the pitch is upheld.
2. Cautions issued in a match that is subsequently forfeited shall not be annulled.
29. MATCHES TO BE PLAYED WITHOUT SPECTATORS To the extent that the competent judicial body decides otherwise, no one shall be allowed to attend a match that has been ordered to be played without spectators, with the exception of:
a) a maximum of 200 people holding category 1 tickets from the visiting club or association and a maximum of 20 VIP guests for each association;
b) a maximum of 55 people per team delegation, including the players;
c) accredited broadcast staff and media (journalists and photographers);
d) police officers and security staff with specific tasks related to security at the match;
e) people carrying out functions related to the stadium infrastructure (grounds, Offences
lighting, signage, etc.) and persons carrying out functions related to the match (ball kids, children involved in the pre-match ceremony as well as their chaperones);
f) a maximum of 75 confederation/FIFA representatives carrying out functions II. at the match; 28
g) people from the confederation/FIFA and confederation/FIFA partners with complimentary tickets; and
h) a maximum of 1,000 children up to the age of 14 (duly accompanied) from schools and/or football academies invited to the match free of charge. III. ORGANISATION AND COMPETENCE 30
CHAPTER 1. GENERAL PROVISIONS
30. GENERAL RULE
1. The FIFA judicial bodies shall be competent to investigate, prosecute and sanction conduct within the scope of application of this Code.
2. Confederations, member associations and other sports organisations are responsible for investigating, prosecuting and sanctioning conduct in their respective jurisdictions. In particular, confederations shall have jurisdiction on disciplinary matters related to friendly matches and competitions between representative teams or clubs belonging to the same confederation, provided that the competition is not organised by FIFA.
3. FIFA shall have jurisdiction on disciplinary matters related to matches and competitions organised by it, to international “A” friendly matches (tier‑1 international matches), to friendly matches and competitions between representative teams or clubs belonging to different confederations or to matches involving invitational teams composed of players registered with clubs belonging to member associations of different confederations.
4. Each member association has a duty to cooperate with other member associations to forward and notify them of documents or to provide information related to and/or required for domestic disciplinary proceedings. If a member association fails to cooperate in this way, it may lead to sanctions as provided under this Code.
5. Confederations and member associations shall inform FIFA immediately of the sanctions issued by their respective judicial bodies in relation to serious infringements (including but not limited to doping, manipulation of football matches and competitions, sexual abuse or harassment).
6. In exceptional circumstances, after consultation with the relevant panel or committee competent to support FIFA’s global stand against racism, FIFA may decide to lodge an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against any decision issued by the relevant judicial body of a member association in cases of racist abuse towards a player, match official, coach, other team official or any other person exercising an official role during a match, whenever such a decision appears to contravene article 15 of this Code.
7. The FIFA judicial bodies reserve the right to investigate, prosecute and sanction serious infringements within the scope of application of this Code – in particular, doping, match manipulation and discrimination – that fall within the jurisdiction of confederations, member associations or other sports organisations, if deemed appropriate in a specific case and if no formal investigation has been initiated by the competent confederation, member association or other sports organisation 90 days after the matter became known to FIFA, or if the relevant confederation, member association or sports organisation agrees with FIFA to confer the competence regarding the relevant matter on FIFA. 31
8. In particular, for cases of racist abuse towards a player, match official, coach, other team official or any other person exercising an official role during a match, FIFA reserves the right to investigate, prosecute and sanction the relevant offender(s) if no formal investigation has been opened after 14 days of the matter becoming known to FIFA or if no decision has been rendered by the relevant member association in line with the relevant provisions of article 15 of this Code.
9. The FIFA judicial bodies shall not deal with cases that have been previously subject to a final decision by another FIFA body involving the same party or parties and the same cause of action. In such cases, the claim shall be deemed inadmissible.
31. COMPOSITION OF THE FIFA JUDICIAL BODIES
1. In the context of this Code, the FIFA judicial bodies are:
a) the Disciplinary Committee;
b) the Appeal Committee.
2. The FIFA judicial bodies shall consist of a chairperson, a deputy chairperson and an unspecified number of members.
3. The Congress elects, upon the proposal of the Council, the chairpersons, deputy chairpersons and other members of the FIFA judicial bodies for a period of four years.
32. INDEPENDENCE AND IMPARTIALITY
1. The chairpersons, deputy chairpersons and other members of the FIFA judicial bodies shall be impartial and fulfil the independence criteria as defined in the FIFA Governance Regulations.
2. Members of the FIFA judicial bodies may not decide on a matter where there are legitimate grounds for questioning their independence or impartiality and/or if there is a conflict of interest. They shall disclose any circumstance which may Organisation and Competence
give rise to any such ground.
3. Members who decline to participate in a meeting on any of the above grounds shall notify the chairperson immediately.
4. If the circumstances give rise to legitimate doubts over the independence or impartiality of a member of the FIFA judicial body, a party is entitled to challenge said member at the latest two days prior to the relevant date on which the judicial body is called to decide on a matter.
5. The chairperson shall decide on any such challenge. If an objection is raised concerning the chairperson, the deputy chairperson or, in their absence, III. the longest-serving member present shall decide on such challenge. 32
33. MEETINGS
1. At the request of the chairperson of the judicial body, the deputy chairperson or, in their absence, the longest-serving member available, and depending on the seriousness of the potential infringement, the secretariat shall call the number of members deemed necessary to each meeting.
2. A meeting may take place with a single judge.
3. The chairperson shall conduct the meetings and pass the decisions that this Code empowers them to take. In the absence of the chairperson of a judicial body, responsibility for deputising shall fall to the respective deputy chairperson or, in the absence of the deputy chairperson, to the longest-serving member or, in the absence of both, to the single judge.
34. CONFIDENTIALITY
1. The members of the FIFA judicial bodies shall ensure that everything disclosed to them during the course of their duty remains confidential (including the facts of the case, the contents of the deliberations and decisions taken).
2. The opening of proceedings as well as decisions already notified to the addressees may be made public by FIFA.
3. Any person who is required to participate in or is subject to a disciplinary investigation or disciplinary proceedings must keep such information confidential at all times, unless the chairperson of the judicial body explicitly stipulates otherwise in writing. Any breach of such duty may be sanctioned.
4. In the event of a breach of this article by a member of a judicial body, the relevant member shall be suspended from the Disciplinary Committee until the next FIFA Congress.
35. SECRETARIAT
1. The FIFA general secretariat provides the FIFA judicial bodies with a secretariat and the necessary support, infrastructure and staff at FIFA headquarters. The FIFA judicial bodies may be assisted by legal counsel or experts.
2. The secretariat takes charge of the administrative work and writes the decisions of the meetings.
3. The secretariat manages the case files. The decisions passed and the relevant files shall be kept for at least five years.
4. The secretariat keeps records of cautions, sendings-off and match suspensions, which are stored in FIFA’s central data storage system. The secretariat of the Disciplinary Committee confirms them in writing to the association or club 33
concerned or, in the case of final competitions, to the head of the delegation concerned (or the person(s) indicated by the latter for each competition). To ensure that the relevant records are complete, the confederations shall inform FIFA of all sanctions that have been issued during their own competitions that are likely to be carried over to a FIFA competition or future competitions organised by the confederations.
5. The secretariat takes charge of the necessary investigation ex officio.
6. The general principles that will apply to investigations are the following:
a) FIFA may investigate possible offences falling within the scope of this Code.
b) In principle, when an investigation is initiated, the parties concerned are informed. This does not apply where such notification is not deemed appropriate. Such investigations are conducted by means of written inquiries, engaging with third parties, such as forensic companies and, where necessary, the questioning of individuals. Other investigative procedures may also be employed, including but not limited to on‑site inspections, document requests and the procurement of expert opinions.
An investigation may be reopened if new evidence or facts emerge which imply that an offence falling within the scope of this Code may have been committed.
36. DISCIPLINARY AND ETHICS PROSECUTORS
1. The secretariat may appoint a Disciplinary and Ethics Prosecutor to support the necessary investigations into potential breaches of FIFA regulations. A Disciplinary and Ethics Prosecutor shall always be appointed in cases concerning potential breaches of the FIFA Anti-Doping Regulations.
2. The appointed Disciplinary and Ethics Prosecutor may request the opening of disciplinary proceedings and propose that disciplinary measures be imposed on member associations, clubs and individuals.
3. The Disciplinary and Ethics Prosecutor shall remain impartial and fulfil Organisation and Competence
the independence criteria as defined in the FIFA Governance Regulations. The requirements and conditions of their appointment as well as of their role are set in accordance with the relevant circular letter on this subject. The term of a Disciplinary and Ethics Prosecutor shall last four years. The secretariat establishes a list of Disciplinary and Ethics Prosecutors.
37. EXEMPTION FROM LIABILITY Except in the case of gross culpability, neither the members of the FIFA judicial bodies nor the secretariat may be held liable for any deeds or omissions relating to any III. disciplinary procedure. 34
38. TIME LIMITS
1. Time limits shall commence the day after the notification of the relevant document. Time limits are deemed to have been complied with if the relevant action has been completed by midnight (Eastern Standard Time) at the latest on the last day of the stipulated deadline.
2. Official holidays and non-working days are included in the calculation of time limits. Time limits are paused from 20 December to 5 January inclusive, with the exception of time limits established under article 60 of this Code regarding appeals to the Appeal Committee, which stay unaffected.
3. Time limits to which parties and legal representatives shall adhere commence on the day after notification of the document by FIFA.
4. When a deadline expires on a Saturday, Sunday or a federal holiday in the United States of America, where FIFA’s Legal & Compliance Division is located, it is carried forward to the next working day.
5. If a time limit is not observed, the defaulter loses the procedural right in question.
6. Unless otherwise established in this Code, time limits laid down by this Code may not be extended. Time limits set by the secretariat to the FIFA judicial bodies may be extended upon substantiated request submitted before the expiry of the relevant time limit.
39. EVIDENCE, EVALUATION OF EVIDENCE AND STANDARD OF PROOF
1. Any type of proof may be produced.
2. The competent judicial body has absolute discretion regarding the evaluation of evidence.
3. The standard of proof to be applied in FIFA disciplinary proceedings is the comfortable satisfaction of the competent judicial body.
40. MATCH OFFICIALS’ REPORTS Facts contained in match officials’ reports and in any additional reports or correspondence submitted by the match officials are presumed to be accurate. Proof of their inaccuracy may be provided. 35
41. BURDEN OF PROOF
1. The burden of proof regarding disciplinary infringements rests on the FIFA judicial bodies.
2. Any party claiming a right on the basis of an alleged fact shall carry the burden of proof of this fact. During the proceedings, the party shall submit all relevant facts and evidence of which the party is aware at that time, or of which the party should have been aware by exercising due care.
3. For anti-doping rule violations, the FIFA Anti-Doping Regulations apply.
42. WITNESSES
1. Witnesses shall tell the absolute and whole truth and shall answer the questions put to them to the best of their knowledge and judgement.
2. It is the responsibility of the parties to ensure the appearance of the witnesses requested by them and to pay all costs and expenses in connection with their appearance.
43. ANONYMOUS PARTICIPANTS IN PROCEEDINGS
1. When a person’s testimony in proceedings conducted in accordance with this Code could lead to threats to them or put them or any person particularly close to them in physical danger, the chairperson of the competent judicial body or the deputy chairperson may order, inter alia, that:
a) the person not be identified in the presence of the parties;
b) the person not appear at the hearing;
c) the person’s voice be distorted;
d) the person be questioned outside the hearing room; Organisation and Competence
e) the person be questioned in writing;
f) all or some of the information that could be used to identify the person be included only in a separate, confidential case file.
2. If no other evidence is available to corroborate the testimony provided by the person concerned, such testimony may only be used in the context of imposing sanctions under this Code if:
a) the parties and their legal representatives had the opportunity to pose questions to the person concerned in writing; and III. 36
b) the members of the judicial body had the opportunity to interview the person concerned directly and in full awareness of their identity and to assess their identity and record in full.
3. Disciplinary measures shall be imposed on anyone who reveals the identity of any person granted anonymity under this provision or any information that could be used to identify such person.
44. IDENTIFICATION OF ANONYMOUS PARTICIPANTS IN PROCEEDINGS
1. To ensure their safety, persons granted anonymity shall be identified behind closed doors in the absence of the parties. This identification shall be conducted by the chairperson of the competent judicial body alone, the deputy chairperson and/or the members of the competent judicial body present and shall be recorded in minutes containing the relevant person’s personal details.
2. These minutes shall not be communicated to the parties.
3. The parties shall receive a brief notice which:
a) confirms that the person concerned has been formally identified; and
b) contains no details that could be used to identify such person.
45. REPRESENTATION AND ASSISTANCE
1. Subject to article 46 of this Code, the parties are free to have legal representation at their own cost, in which case a specific, recent and duly signed power of attorney must be submitted.
2. If they are not required to appear personally, they may be represented.
46. LEGAL AID
1. In order to guarantee their rights, individuals bound by this Code who have insufficient financial means may request legal aid from FIFA for the purpose of proceedings before the FIFA judicial bodies.
2. Applicants for legal aid must submit reasoned requests and supporting documents.
3. The secretariat establishes a list of pro bono counsel.
4. According to each applicant’s needs, and subject to prior written confirmation by FIFA, legal aid may be provided as follows:
a) The applicant may be released from having to pay the costs of proceedings. 37
b) Pro bono counsel may be selected by the applicant from the list provided by the secretariat.
c) The applicant’s own reasonable travel and accommodation costs and those of witnesses and experts they call to testify may be covered by FIFA, including the travel and accommodation costs of any pro bono counsel selected from the list provided by the secretariat.
5. The chairperson of the corresponding judicial body decides on requests for legal aid. Such decisions are final.
6. Further conditions and requirements associated with legal aid and pro bono counsel may be communicated by circular letter.
47. LANGUAGE USED IN PROCEEDINGS
1. The languages used in proceedings are English, French and Spanish. The FIFA judicial bodies and the parties may choose to communicate in any of these languages.
2. Decisions are passed in any of the aforementioned languages.
3. If the language used in a decision is not the mother tongue of the person concerned, the association to which the person belongs will be responsible for translating it.
48. COMMUNICATION WITH THE PARTIES
1. All of the parties shall be notified of the decision.
2. All communications between FIFA and the party concerned during proceedings before the FIFA judicial bodies shall be sent exclusively through the FIFA Legal Portal. Communications through the FIFA Legal Portal are valid and binding means of communication and are sufficient to establish time limits and their observance. Organisation and Competence
3. The parties and member associations must ensure that their contact details (including their address, telephone number and email address) are valid and kept up to date at all times.
4. Decisions and other documents intended for players and officials are addressed to the association or club concerned on condition that it immediately forwards the documents to the parties concerned. Associations shall also immediately forward correspondence intended for their affiliated clubs. Failure by the association or club to comply with the instructions contained in this article may result in disciplinary proceedings in accordance with this Code. III. 38
5. In the event that an association or club acts on behalf of the party concerned, these documents are considered to have been communicated properly to the ultimate addressee upon notification of the association or club concerned in line with article 38.3 of this Code.
6. In the event that the email address of the ultimate addressee is unknown and the association or club is not acting on their behalf, these documents are considered to have been communicated properly to the ultimate addressee four days after the notification of the document to the respective association or club.
49. COSTS AND EXPENSES
1. As a general rule and except for protest cases, proceedings before the Disciplinary Committee are free of charge. Should there be costs associated with the proceedings, they shall be borne by the sanctioned party. In protest cases, the costs shall be borne by the defeated party.
2. The costs of proceedings before the Appeal Committee shall be borne by the sanctioned party. If no sanction is imposed, the costs shall be allocated considering the degree of success of the appeal.
3. Should a party generate unnecessary costs on account of its conduct, costs may be imposed upon it, irrespective of the outcome of the proceedings.
4. The relevant judicial body decides how costs and expenses shall be allocated. This decision is not subject to appeal.
5. Each party shall bear its own costs, including the costs of its own witnesses, representatives, legal advisers, interpreters and counsel, subject to article 46.
50. EFFECTS OF DECISIONS
1. Decisions come into force as soon as they are notified.
2. Cautions, sendings-off and automatic match suspensions have an immediate effect on subsequent matches even if the notification reaches the association, club or head of delegation concerned later.
51. PROVISIONAL MEASURES
1. The chairperson of the competent judicial body, or their nominee, is entitled to issue provisional measures where these are deemed necessary to ensure the proper administration of justice, to maintain sporting discipline or to avoid irreparable harm, or for reasons of safety and security. They are not obliged to hear the parties. 39
2. Provisional measures issued by the chairperson of the Disciplinary Committee or their nominee may be appealed against in accordance with the relevant provisions of this Code. However, the appeal must reach FIFA in writing via the FIFA Legal Portal and with grounds within three days of notification of the contested measure, without the condition of payment of any appeal fee. The chairperson of the Appeal Committee, or their nominee, decides on such appeals as a single judge. Such decisions are final.
3. A provisional measure may apply for up to 90 days. The duration of any such measure may be deducted from the final disciplinary sanction. The chairperson of the competent judicial body, or their nominee, may exceptionally extend the validity of a provisional measure by up to 90 days.
52. COURT OF ARBITRATION FOR SPORT (CAS) Decisions passed by the Disciplinary and Appeal Committees may be appealed against before CAS, subject to the provisions of this Code and articles 49 and 50 of the FIFA Statutes.
Organisation and Competence
III. 40
CHAPTER 2. DECISION-MAKING PROCESS
53. CONVOCATION, RIGHTS OF THE PARTIES, HEARINGS, DECISIONS, COMMUNICATIONS AND CONFIDENTIALITY
1. As a general rule, there are no oral statements and the FIFA judicial bodies decide on the basis of the file.
2. At the motivated request of one of the parties or at the discretion of the chairperson, the deputy chairperson or the competent single judge, a hearing may be arranged to be held, to which all the parties shall be summoned.
3. Unless this Code specifies otherwise, the parties are entitled to submit written statements, examine the case file and order copies of the case file before any decision is reached.
4. Hearings are recorded and archived. Parties are not given access to recordings of hearings; however, if a party claims that procedural rules in its favour have been breached during a hearing, the chairperson of the competent judicial body, or their nominee, may allow that party to have access to the recording. Recordings are destroyed after five years.
5. The FIFA judicial bodies may hold hearings and take decisions in the absence of one or all of the parties.
6. If different proceedings are opened against the same association, club or individual, the competent judicial body may combine the cases and issue one comprehensive decision.
7. Hearings of the FIFA judicial bodies are not open to the public, except in cases of anti-doping rule violations by individuals if duly requested by the defendant and approved by the chairperson of the relevant judicial body or their nominee. In cases of match manipulation, the relevant chairperson or their nominee will decide about a public hearing. The chairperson or their nominee decides at their own discretion if and under what conditions a public hearing may take place.
8. At any time prior to the meeting set up to decide the case by the relevant judicial body, a party may accept responsibility and request the FIFA judicial bodies to impose a specific sanction. The FIFA judicial bodies may decide on the basis of such request or render a decision which it considers appropriate in the context of this Code. 41
9. All communications concerning an association, club or individual (including notifications of proceedings against them and the issuing of the decisions taken by the FIFA judicial bodies) are addressed to the association or club concerned, which must then, if applicable, inform the club or the individual in person. All such communications by FIFA or the FIFA judicial bodies shall be sent by the secretariat via the FIFA Legal Portal.
10. Written communications to FIFA by an association, club or individual shall be submitted via the FIFA Legal Portal.
54. DECISIONS
1. Decisions are passed by a single judge or by a simple majority of the members present. If votes are equal, the chairperson has the casting vote.
2. The FIFA judicial bodies may take decisions via personal meetings, telephone conference, video conference or any other similar method.
3. In principle, the FIFA judicial bodies issue the terms of decisions without grounds, and only these terms of the decision are notified to the parties, who are informed that they have ten days from that notification to request, in writing via the FIFA Legal Portal, a motivated decision. Failure to make such a request results in the decision becoming final and binding and the parties being deemed to have waived their right to lodge an appeal.
4. A motivated decision shall include at least:
a) a brief summary of the facts, which does not need to include every single contention;
b) the article(s) infringed;
c) the considerations that are relevant to the potential breach of the FIFA regulations; and
d) the criteria used to determine the possible sanction. Organisation and Competence
5. If the motivated decision is requested within the time limit stipulated in paragraph 3 above, the time limit for lodging an appeal begins only on notification of the motivation. Only the parties to which a decision is addressed can request the motivation.
6. Any appeal lodged before notification of the motivated decision is regarded exclusively as a request for motivation.
7. Doping-related decisions are issued with grounds. In case of urgency, or under any other special circumstances, the relevant judicial body may notify the party of only the terms of the decision, which become immediately applicable. The full, III. written decision shall then be notified within 60 days. 42
8. The FIFA secretariat publishes decisions issued by the FIFA judicial bodies. Where such a decision contains confidential information, FIFA may decide, ex officio or at the request of a party, to publish an anonymised or a redacted version.
9. The request for a motivated decision does not affect the enforcement of the decision, which shall take effect as soon as it is notified, with the exception of orders to pay a sum of money.
10. The competent judicial body may rectify any mistakes in calculation or any other obvious errors in the decision at any time. 43
CHAPTER 3. DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE
55. COMMENCEMENT OF PROCEEDINGS
1. Proceedings are opened by the secretariat of the Disciplinary Committee:
a) on the basis of match officials’ reports;
b) where a protest has been lodged;
c) at the request of the FIFA Council;
d) at the request of the Disciplinary and Ethics Prosecutor;
e) at the request of the Ethics Committee;
f) on the basis of a report filed by a FIFA body, committee, subsidiary, instance or by the FIFA administration;
g) on the basis of article 21 of this Code;
h) on the basis of documents received from a public authority;
i) ex officio.
2. Any person or body may report any conduct that is considered incompatible with FIFA regulations to the FIFA judicial bodies. Such complaints shall be made in writing. FIFA may initiate investigations and appoint a Disciplinary and Ethics Prosecutor to investigate any such complaint.
56. JURISDICTION
1. The Disciplinary Committee is competent to sanction any breach of FIFA regulations which does not come under the jurisdiction of another body.
2. The Disciplinary Committee is, in particular, responsible for: Organisation and Competence
a) sanctioning serious infringements which have escaped the match officials’ attention;
b) rectifying obvious errors in the referee’s disciplinary decisions;
c) extending the duration of a match suspension incurred automatically by a sending-off;
d) pronouncing additional sanctions.
3. If deemed appropriate, the chairperson or their deputy may refer a case, regardless of the matter involved, directly to the Appeal Committee for consideration and III. decision. Cases concerning anti-doping rule violations shall always be referred directly to the Appeal Committee for adjudication. 44
57. JURISDICTION OF THE SINGLE JUDGES OF THE DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE
1. The chairperson can rule alone as a single judge and may delegate their functions to another member of the Disciplinary Committee. The chairperson or their nominee acting as a single judge may take decisions with respect to any matters provided for in this Code.
2. The secretariat, under the guidance of the chairperson or the deputy chairperson, is responsible for assigning the relevant cases to single judges. The proceedings before a single judge shall be conducted in accordance with this Code. A panel shall decide on matters involving discrimination or match manipulation, unless they are deemed urgent, in which case paragraph 1 applies.
58. PROPOSAL BY THE SECRETARIAT In matters reserved for the single judge, the secretariat may propose a sanction on the basis of the existing file. The party concerned may reject the proposed sanction and submit its position before the relevant judicial body by the stipulated deadline, in the absence of which the proposed sanction will become final and binding.
59. CLOSURE OF PROCEEDINGS Proceedings may be closed when:
a) the parties reach an agreement;
b) a party is under insolvency or bankruptcy proceedings pursuant to the relevant national law and is legally unable to comply with an order;
c) a club is disaffiliated from an association;
d) the alleged violation has not been proven. 45
CHAPTER 4. APPEAL COMMITTEE
60. JURISDICTION
1. The Appeal Committee is competent to decide on appeals against any of the Disciplinary Committee’s decisions that FIFA regulations do not declare as final or referable to another body, as well as on cases referred by the chairperson of the Disciplinary Committee or their deputy for consideration and decision.
2. The Appeal Committee is also competent to decide directly on cases involving anti-doping rule violations.
3. Any party intending to lodge an appeal must inform the Appeal Committee of its intention to appeal, in writing via the FIFA Legal Portal, within three days of notification of the grounds of the decision.
4. Within five days of expiry of the time limit for submission of the intention to appeal, the appellant must file, in writing via the FIFA Legal Portal, the appeal brief. This must contain the appellant’s requests, an account of the facts, evidence, a list of the proposed witnesses (with a brief summary of their expected testimony) and the appellant’s conclusions. The appellant is not authorised to produce further written submissions or evidence after the deadline for filing the appeal brief.
5. In urgent cases and during final competitions, the chairperson may shorten the deadline for the submission of the above-mentioned documents. In exceptional circumstances and at the motivated request of the appellant, the time limit to file the appeal brief may be extended by the chairperson.
6. The appeal fee is USD 1,000, payable on submission of the appeal brief at the latest.
7. The appeal is not admissible if any deadline and/or any of the above-mentioned requirements are not met. Organisation and Competence
61. ADMISSIBILITY OF APPEALS
1. An appeal may be lodged with the Appeal Committee against any decision passed by the Disciplinary Committee, unless the disciplinary measure issued is:
a) a warning;
b) a reprimand;
c) a suspension of up to two matches or of up to two months;
d) a fine of up to USD 15,000 imposed on an association or a club or of up to USD 7,500 in other cases; III. e) decisions passed in compliance with articles 21, 23.2, 23.3 or 23.4 of this Code. 46
2. Only the motivated decision can be appealed against.
3. If the Disciplinary Committee combines disciplinary measures, an appeal is admissible if at least one of the disciplinary measures imposed exceeds the above limits.
62. STANDING TO APPEAL
1. Anyone who has been a party to the proceedings before the Disciplinary Committee may lodge an appeal with the Appeal Committee, provided this party has a legally protected interest in filing the appeal.
2. Member associations and clubs may appeal against decisions sanctioning their players, officials or members.
63. DELIBERATIONS AND DECISIONS
1. The Appeal Committee deliberates behind closed doors.
2. Within the framework of the appeal proceedings, the Appeal Committee has full power to review the facts and the law.
3. The decision by the Appeal Committee upholds, amends or overturns the contested decision. In the case of a fundamental mistrial, the Appeal Committee can overturn the contested decision and refer the case back to the Disciplinary Committee for reassessment.
4. If the accused is the only party to have lodged an appeal, the sanction cannot be increased.
5. If new disciplinary offences come to light while appeal proceedings are pending, they may be judged in the course of the same proceedings. In such a situation, the sanction can be increased.
64. JURISDICTION OF THE CHAIRPERSON RULING ALONE The chairperson (or in their absence, respectively the deputy chairperson and the longest-serving member available) of the Appeal Committee may take decisions alone:
a) on a preliminary procedural issue related to the appeal, including the admissibility of the appeal;
b) in urgent or protest cases;
c) on an appeal against a decision to extend a sanction;
d) to resolve disputes arising from objections to members of the Appeal Committee; 47
e) on appeals against provisional decisions passed by the chairperson of the Disciplinary Committee;
f) to issue, alter and annul provisional measures;
g) in cases where the sanction imposed by the Disciplinary Committee is a fine of up to USD 500,000 or a suspension from playing or carrying out a function for up to five matches or a period of time up to 12 months; and/or
h) at the request of the parties.
65. EFFECTS OF APPEAL
1. The appeal does not have a suspensive effect except with regard to orders to pay a sum of money.
2. The chairperson, the deputy chairperson or, in their absence, the longest‑serving member available, may, on receipt of a reasoned request, award a stay of execution.
Organisation and Competence
III. IV. SPECIAL PROCEDURES 49
66. EXPULSION AND MATCH SUSPENSION
1. A player who has been sent off:
a) shall stay in the team dressing room or the doping control room, accompanied by a chaperone, until the names of the players selected for the doping test are communicated. The player may be allowed to sit in the stands, provided their integrity and security are safeguarded, they are not picked for doping control and are no longer wearing their football equipment;
b) is not entitled to attend the post-match press conference or any other media activity held in the stadium.
2. A player who is serving a match suspension:
a) may be allowed to sit in the stands, but not in the immediate vicinity of the field of play, provided their security and integrity are safeguarded;
b) shall not enter the dressing room, tunnel or technical area, before or during the match, attend the warm-up, or sit on the team bench. After the final whistle, a suspended player may join their team in the dressing room;
c) is not entitled to attend the post-match press conference or any other media activity held in the stadium.
3. An official who has been sent off or is serving a match suspension:
a) may be allowed to sit in the stands, but not in the immediate vicinity of the field of play, provided their security and integrity are safeguarded;
b) shall not enter the dressing room, tunnel or technical area, or communicate with or contact any person involved in the match – in particular, players or technical staff – by any means whatsoever prior to or during the match;
c) is not entitled to attend the post-match press conference or any other media activity held in the stadium.
4. A sending-off automatically incurs suspension from the subsequent match. The FIFA judicial bodies may impose additional match suspensions and other disciplinary measures.
5. The automatic match suspension and any additional match suspension must Special Procedures
be served, even if the sending-off is imposed in a match that is later abandoned, annulled, forfeited and/or replayed.
6. If a match is abandoned, cancelled or forfeited (except for a violation of article 19), a suspension is only considered to have been served if the team to which the suspended player belongs is not responsible for the circumstances that led to the abandonment, cancellation or forfeit of the match. IV. 50
7. A match suspension is regarded as no longer pending if a match is retroactively forfeited because a player took part in a match despite being ineligible. This also applies to the match suspension imposed on the player who took part in the match despite being ineligible.
67. CARRYING OVER CAUTIONS
1. If a person receives a caution in two separate matches of the same FIFA competition, they are automatically suspended from the next match in that competition. Such suspensions must be served before any other suspension. The Disciplinary Committee may exceptionally depart from or amend this rule before the start of a particular competition. Any such decision reached by the Disciplinary Committee is final and binding.
2. Cautions received during one competition are not carried over to another competition.
3. They are, however, carried over from one round to the next in the same competition. The Disciplinary Committee may exceptionally depart from this rule before the start of a particular competition. This provision is subject to article 68 of this Code and to any derogating rules that FIFA may issue for a specific competition.
4. If a person is sent off as a result of a direct red card, any other caution they have previously received in the same match is upheld.
68. CANCELLATION OF CAUTIONS
1. The Disciplinary Committee may, at its own discretion and on its own initiative or upon the justified and reasonable request of a confederation, cancel cautions that have not resulted in a sending-off or a suspension by means of a decision not subject to appeal.
2. When evaluating the cancellation of cautions, the Disciplinary Committee must take into account, among other general principles, the impact on the integrity of the competition, and the equal treatment between participants.
69. CARRYING OVER MATCH SUSPENSIONS
1. As a general rule, every match suspension (of players and other persons) is carried over from one round to the next in the same competition.
2. Match suspensions imposed in terms of matches in relation to a sending-off issued against a player outside of a competition (separate match[es]) or not served during the competition for which they were intended (elimination or the last match in the competition) are carried over as follows: 51
a) FIFA World Cup™ and FIFA Women’s World Cup™: carried over to the representative team’s next official match;
b) competitions subject to an age limit: carried over to the representative team’s next official match in the same age group. Where the suspension cannot be served in the same age group, it shall be carried over to the next-highest age category, unless the person concerned is eligible to participate in a match in the next-lowest age group and the said match is to be played before that of the next-highest age group; in that case, the suspension shall be carried over to the next official match of the next-lowest age group;
c) FIFA club competitions: carried over to the club’s next official match;
d) Women’s Olympic Football Tournament: carried over to the representative team’s next official match;
e) Men’s Olympic Football Tournament: for players who meet the age limit, carried over to the representative team’s next official match in the same age group. Where the suspension cannot be served in the same age group, it shall be carried over to the next-highest age category. For players who do not meet the age limit, it shall be carried over to the representative team’s next official match;
f) confederation competitions for representative teams: carried over to the representative team’s next official match;
g) competitions in which teams have been chosen in accordance with certain criteria (cultural, geographical, historical, etc.): unless the regulations of these competitions specifically stipulate otherwise, the suspension is carried over to the representative team’s next official match;
h) friendly matches: carried over to the representative team’s next friendly match.
3. If a representative team is hosting a final competition and is consequently not required to participate in qualifying matches to reach the final competition of this tournament and its next official match is in that final competition, any match suspension shall be carried over to the representative team’s next friendly match.
4. In no case may match suspensions resulting from several cautions issued to a player in different matches of the same competition be carried over to another competition. Special Procedures
5. Officials of a club or an association shall serve a match suspension with any club or association of which the official is an official.
6. Match suspensions that have to be carried over to another competition must be served by the person concerned, regardless of whether the status of that person has changed in the meantime, including from player to official or vice versa. IV. 52
70. EXTENDING SANCTIONS TO HAVE WORLDWIDE EFFECT
1. If the infringement is serious, in particular but not limited to discrimination, manipulation of football matches and competitions, misconduct against match officials, or forgery and falsification, as well as sexual abuse or harassment, the member associations, confederations, and other organising sports bodies shall request that the Disciplinary Committee extend the sanctions they have imposed so as to have worldwide effect (worldwide extension).
2. Any doping-related legally binding sanction imposed by another national or international sports association, national anti-doping organisation or any other state body that complies with fundamental legal principles shall automatically be adopted by FIFA and, provided that the requirements described hereunder and in the FIFA Anti-Doping Regulations are met, shall be automatically recognised by all confederations and member associations.
3. The request shall be submitted in writing via the FIFA Legal Portal and enclose the following:
a) a true copy of the decision;
b) the name, email address, nationality and date of birth of the person who has been sanctioned, or the name, postal address and email address of the club that has been sanctioned;
c) the name of the association concerned;
d) the start and end date of the sanction which is to be submitted for a worldwide extension;
e) evidence that the party concerned has been cited properly and has had the opportunity to state its case (with the exception of provisional measures);
f) evidence that the decision has been duly communicated to the party concerned; and
g) evidence that the party concerned has been informed that the sanction will be submitted for a worldwide extension.
4. If the Disciplinary Committee discovers that member associations, confederations and other sports organisations have not requested a decision to be extended to have worldwide effect, a decision may still be passed ex officio.
5. A worldwide extension will be approved if the request fulfils the requirements set forth in paragraph 3 above, the decision is compatible with the regulations of FIFA and extending the sanction does not conflict with public order or with accepted standards of behaviour. 53
6. The chairperson of the Disciplinary Committee takes their decision, in principle, without deliberations or orally hearing any of the parties, using only the file.
7. The chairperson may exceptionally decide to summon the parties concerned.
8. The chairperson is restricted to ascertaining that the conditions of this article have been fulfilled. They may not review the substance of the decision.
9. The chairperson shall either grant or refuse to grant the request to have the sanction extended.
10. A sanction imposed by an association or a confederation has the same effect in each association of FIFA, in each confederation and in FIFA itself as if the sanction had been imposed by any one of them.
11. If a decision that is not yet final in a legal sense is extended to have worldwide effect, any decision regarding extension shall follow the outcome of the association’s or confederation’s current decision.
71. REVIEW
1. A review may be requested before the competent judicial body after a legally binding decision has been passed if a party discovers facts or proof that would have resulted in a more favourable decision and that, even with due diligence, could not have been produced sooner.
2. A request for review shall be made within ten days of discovering the reasons for review.
3. The limitation period for submitting a request for review is one year after the decision has become final and binding.
Special Procedures
IV.
V. FINAL PROVISIONS 55
72. OFFICIAL LANGUAGES
1. This Code exists in English, French and Spanish.
2. In the event of any discrepancy between the three texts, the English version is authoritative.
73. GENDER AND NUMBER Terms referring to natural persons are applicable to both genders. Any term in the singular applies to the plural and vice versa.
74. SPECIFIC DISCIPLINARY RULES Specific disciplinary rules may be introduced for the duration of a FIFA final competition. Such rules shall be communicated to the participating member associations/clubs before the first match of the final competition at the latest.
75. MEMBER ASSOCIATIONS’ DISCIPLINARY CODES
1. The member associations are obliged to adapt their own disciplinary provisions to the general principles of this Code for the purpose of harmonising disciplinary measures. Article 15 (except paragraph 7 a)) and article 66 paragraph 4 of this Code are considered mandatory in domestic competitions.
2. Upon FIFA’s request, the member associations must provide FIFA with a copy of their updated regulations.
3. All member associations shall also ensure that no one is involved in the management of clubs or the association itself who is under prosecution for action unworthy of such a position or who has been convicted of a criminal offence in the past five years. Final Provisions
V. 56
76. ADOPTION AND ENFORCEMENT This Code was adopted by the FIFA Council on 28 April 2026 and comes into force on 1 May 2026.
Zurich, 28 April 2026
For FIFA:
President Secretary General
Gianni Infantino Mattias Grafström ANNEXE 58
ANNEXE 1: LIST OF DISCIPLINARY MEASURES Article 6 of this Code establishes the list of disciplinary measures which may be imposed by FIFA’s judicial bodies on natural and legal persons.
This annexe is aimed at providing a list of specific disciplinary measures which may be taken into consideration by the relevant judicial body when deciding on a specific case.
For the sake of good order, it is to be noted that the list of disciplinary measures developed in the present annexe is not exhaustive, nor binding, and is without prejudice to the general principles established under article 25 of this Code. As a matter of fact, the decisions are rendered on a case-by-case basis and the type and extent of the disciplinary measures are determined by the relevant judicial body in accordance with the objective and subjective elements of the offence, taking into account both aggravating and mitigating circumstances.
I. FAILURE TO RESPECT FINANCIAL DECISIONS (ART. 21 OF THIS CODE)
Further disciplinary measures in case of Final failure to comply by the final deadline deadline to comply with In the In the case In the case Amount due Fine the relevant case of of member of natural (in USD) (in USD) decision clubs associations persons
0-10,000 1,000
10,001-20,000 2,000
20,001-50,000 5,000
50,001-75,000 7,500 Imposition of a ban on 75,001-100,000 10,000 registering Imposition of a Additional new players ban on any 100,001-250,000 15,000 30 days disciplinary until the football-related measures 250,001-500,000 20,000 complete activity2 amount due is 500,001-750,000 25,000 paid1
750,001-1,500,000 30,000
1,500,001-3,000,000 30,000
> 3,000,000 30,000
1 A deduction of points or relegation to a lower division may also be ordered in addition to a transfer ban in the event of persistent failure, repeated offences or serious infringements or if no full transfer ban could be imposed or served for any reason. 2 Other disciplinary measures may also be imposed. 59
II. ORDER AND SECURITY AT MATCHES (ART. 17 OF THIS CODE)
A. Host clubs’ and member associations’ responsibilities
Sanction for first Sanction for Sanction for Offence offence second offence further offences
Failure to assess the degree of risk posed by the match and USD 5,000 USD 7,500 USD 15,000 notify the FIFA bodies of those that are especially high-risk
Failure to comply with and implement existing safety rules and take every safety precaution demanded by the USD 5,000 USD 7,500 USD 15,000 circumstances in and around the stadium before, during and after the match and if incidents occur
Failure to ensure the safety of the match officials and the USD 5,000 USD 7,500 USD 15,000 players and officials of the visiting team during their stay
Failure to keep local authorities informed and collaborate with USD 5,000 USD 7,500 USD 15,000 them actively and effectively
Failure to ensure that law and order are maintained in and USD 10,000 USD 15,000 USD 30,000 around the stadiums and that matches are organised properly Annexe
V. 60
B. Member associations’ and clubs’ responsibilities for inappropriate behaviour of their supporters
Sanction for first Sanction for Sanction for Offence offence second offence further offences
USD 5,000 (less than 5 persons) USD 7,500 Invasion or attempted (between 5 and 10) Previous fine USD 7,500 invasion of the field of play USD 10,000 increased by 100% (between 10 and 20) USD 20,000 (more than 20)
No. of objects No. of objects No. of objects Throwing of objects x USD 500 x USD 750 x USD 1,000
No. of fireworks No. of fireworks No. of fireworks Lighting of fireworks or any x USD 500 x USD 750 x USD 1,000 other objects With a minimum of With a minimum of With a minimum of USD 1,000 USD 1,500 USD 2,000
Use of laser pointers or Previous fine USD 5,000 USD 7,500 similar electronic devices increased by 100%
Use of gestures, words, USD 5,000 USD 10,000 objects or any other means (low severity) (low severity) Previous fine to transmit a message that is USD 10,000 USD 20,000 increased by 100% not appropriate for a sports (high severity) (high severity) event
USD 5,000 USD 7,500 Previous fine Acts of damage + damages + damages increased by 100%
Causing a disturbance during Previous fine USD 5,000 USD 7,500 national anthems increased by 100%
USD 15,000 (if no match interruption/no impact on the match) Drone - - USD 25,000 (if impact on the match – interruption or delay) 61
III. MISCONDUCT OF PLAYERS AND OFFICIALS (ART. 14 OF THIS CODE)
Fine FIFA tournament Yellow card Indirect red Direct red Team (caution) card card misconduct3
FIFA World Cup™ and men’s USD 10,000 USD 15,000 USD 20,000 USD 15,000 club competitions
FIFA Women’s World Cup™ and women’s club USD 5,000 USD 7,500 USD 10,000 USD 7,500 competitions
FIFA Arab Cup™ and USD 2,500 USD 5,000 USD 7,500 USD 5,000 FIFA ASEAN Cup™
FIFA U-20 World Cup™ USD 500 USD 1,000 USD 1,500 USD 1,000
FIFA U-20 Women’s USD 500 USD 1,000 USD 1,500 USD 1,000 World Cup™
FIFA U-17 World Cup™ USD 500 USD 1,000 USD 1,500 USD 1,000
FIFA U-17 Women’s USD 500 USD 1,000 USD 1,500 USD 1,000 World Cup™
FIFA Beach Soccer World USD 500 USD 1,000 USD 1,500 USD 1,000 Cup™
FIFA Futsal World Cup™ and FIFA Futsal Women’s USD 500 USD 1,000 USD 1,500 USD 1,000 World Cup™
Men‘s Olympic Football USD 500 USD 1,000 USD 1,500 USD 1,000 Tournament
Women‘s Olympic Football USD 500 USD 1,000 USD 1,500 USD 1,000 Tournament
Men‘s Youth Olympic N/A N/A N/A USD 500 Futsal Tournament
Women‘s Youth Olympic N/A N/A N/A USD 500 Futsal Tournament
3 Such fine would be imposed in addition to the individual fines in case individual disciplinary sanctions are imposed by the referee on five or more players of the team during the relevant match. Annexe
V. 62
IV. OTHER MATCH-RELATED ISSUES
FIFA Equipment Regulations
Sanction for first Sanction for Sanction for Offence offence second offence4 further offences5
Infringement of the FIFA Equipment Previous fine Warning USD 5,000 Regulations increased by 50%
FIFA Media and Marketing Regulations
Sanction for first Sanction for Sanction for Offence offence second offence6 further offences7
Unapproved advertisement on Previous fine Warning USD 5,000 equipment in controlled areas increased by 50%
Consumption of competing Previous fine Warning USD 500 beverage brands in controlled areas increased by 50%
Unapproved advertisement on the Previous fine Warning USD 5,000 official training sites increased by 50%
Failure to comply with media activity Previous fine Warning USD 2,000 obligations in controlled areas increased by 50%
Display and/or distribution Previous fine of promotional materials in Warning USD 1,000 increased by 50% controlled areas
Unapproved use of FIFA Previous fine Warning USD 2,000 competition marks increased by 50%
Others
Sanction for first Sanction for Sanction for Offence offence second offence further offences
Previous fine Late kick-off Warning USD 10,000 increased by 100%
4 The below amounts should be reduced to 20% for youth tournaments, futsal tournaments and beach soccer tournaments. 5 The below amounts should be reduced to 20% for youth tournaments, futsal tournaments and beach soccer tournaments. 6 The below amounts should be reduced to 20% for youth tournaments, futsal tournaments and beach soccer tournaments. 7 The below amounts should be reduced to 20% for youth tournaments, futsal tournaments and beach soccer tournaments.