The controversial “triple punishment”, where a player gives away a penalty, is sent off and automatically suspended, has been left off the agenda for the next meeting of soccer’s rule-making body.

The International Football Association Board (IFAB) will, however, discuss proposed changes to the drop-ball and offside rules which FIFA hopes will make referees’ decisions more clear-cut and less open to interpretation.

IFAB will also review the additional linesmen who have been used by UEFA but shunned by FIFA, when it meets in Edinburgh on March 2.

The so-called triple punishment is invoked when a player denies an opponent a clear-scoring opportunity in the penalty area.

In addition to conceding a penalty, he is automatically sent off and misses at least the next game.

Critics complain that such decisions can end matches as a contest or completely change the course and that a penalty would suffice in cases where the foul is not violent.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.