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: Special Procedures IV.
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 T ournament: carried over to the representative team’s next official match;
e) Men’s Olympic Football T ournament: 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.
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. 52