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FIFA proposes yellow-card rule change to reduce World Cup suspensions  FIFA is preparing to tweak World Cup rules on yellow cards to ensure fewer players are suspended for key knockout matches in North America.An extra amnesty for yellow cards, wiping player disciplinary records twice during the expanded tournament, will be proposed at a meeting of FIFA’s ruling council on Tuesday, people familiar with the plan told        The Associated Press. They spoke on condition of anonymity as the decision is not yet official.At the World Cup, players must serve a one-match ban if they are shown yellow cards in two different matches. In previous editions, yellow cards were cancelled after the quarterfinal stage.That ensured no player would miss the final through suspension only because of receiving a yellow card in the semifinal.ALSO READ: World Cup 2026 prize money could rise further as FIFA holds talks with associationsThe expanded 48-team World Cup format, which includes an extra round-of-32 knockout stage, led to a FIFA review aimed at helping keep players on the field.FIFA proposes to clear the disciplinary records of players who have one yellow card after the three-match group stage, allowing them to start the knockout phase afresh.A second amnesty after the quarterfinals will apply to players who receive one yellow card during the three previous knockout rounds and whose teams advance to the semifinals.Published on Apr 28, 2026  #FIFA #proposes #yellowcard #rule #change #reduce #World #Cup #suspensions

FIFA proposes yellow-card rule change to reduce World Cup suspensions

FIFA is preparing to tweak World Cup rules on yellow cards to ensure fewer players are suspended for key knockout matches in North America.

An extra amnesty for yellow cards, wiping player disciplinary records twice during the expanded tournament, will be proposed at a meeting of FIFA’s ruling council on Tuesday, people familiar with the plan told The Associated Press. They spoke on condition of anonymity as the decision is not yet official.

At the World Cup, players must serve a one-match ban if they are shown yellow cards in two different matches. In previous editions, yellow cards were cancelled after the quarterfinal stage.

That ensured no player would miss the final through suspension only because of receiving a yellow card in the semifinal.

ALSO READ: World Cup 2026 prize money could rise further as FIFA holds talks with associations

The expanded 48-team World Cup format, which includes an extra round-of-32 knockout stage, led to a FIFA review aimed at helping keep players on the field.

FIFA proposes to clear the disciplinary records of players who have one yellow card after the three-match group stage, allowing them to start the knockout phase afresh.

A second amnesty after the quarterfinals will apply to players who receive one yellow card during the three previous knockout rounds and whose teams advance to the semifinals.

Published on Apr 28, 2026

#FIFA #proposes #yellowcard #rule #change #reduce #World #Cup #suspensions

FIFA is preparing to tweak World Cup rules on yellow cards to ensure fewer players are suspended for key knockout matches in North America.

An extra amnesty for yellow cards, wiping player disciplinary records twice during the expanded tournament, will be proposed at a meeting of FIFA’s ruling council on Tuesday, people familiar with the plan told The Associated Press. They spoke on condition of anonymity as the decision is not yet official.

At the World Cup, players must serve a one-match ban if they are shown yellow cards in two different matches. In previous editions, yellow cards were cancelled after the quarterfinal stage.

That ensured no player would miss the final through suspension only because of receiving a yellow card in the semifinal.

ALSO READ: World Cup 2026 prize money could rise further as FIFA holds talks with associations

The expanded 48-team World Cup format, which includes an extra round-of-32 knockout stage, led to a FIFA review aimed at helping keep players on the field.

FIFA proposes to clear the disciplinary records of players who have one yellow card after the three-match group stage, allowing them to start the knockout phase afresh.

A second amnesty after the quarterfinals will apply to players who receive one yellow card during the three previous knockout rounds and whose teams advance to the semifinals.

Published on Apr 28, 2026

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#FIFA #proposes #yellowcard #rule #change #reduce #World #Cup #suspensions

For a moment, it appeared that the New York Liberty might be the next WNBA team that boasted a great roster on paper, but with a roster that didn’t meaningfully translate to on-court success. The Liberty began the season with a 3-4 record, dropping two of their first three games against the Portland Fire, the league’s new expansion team.

While the roster wasn’t fully available — Sabrina Ionescu, Satou Sabally, and Leonie Fiebich all missed significant time — for a moment, the slew of offseason moves that initially appeared to catapult the Liberty into title favorites resulted in lackluster play.

But things have since dramatically changed. New York hasn’t lost a game since May 25th, rattling off seven straight wins. Some of those victories have come against bottom-feeders — they beat the Phoenix Mercury twice and Connecticut Sun once — but on Thursday, they put together perhaps their most impressive win of the season, a 14-point beatdown of the Atlanta Dream, who were 8-3 entering the game.

In that one, Breanna Stewart, who has been New York’s most consistent and available player, led the way with 19 points and 11 rebounds. Satou Sabally (19 points), Marine Johannes (17 points), Pauline Austier (16 points), and Jonquel Jones (16 points) were all major contributors.

Three days later, the Liberty put together a 22-point beatdown of the Washington Mystics, and Stewart recorded a career-high 7 blocks.

The Liberty are 7-0 with Fiebich in the lineup; the 26-year-old missed the start of the WNBA season as she finished her season with the Spanish club Valencia Basket. Fiebich is averaging 7 points and 2.9 rebounds per game but has a +8 +/- rating, the fifth-best in the WNBA. The Liberty now have the second-best plus-minus in the league (a +7), trailing only the Lynx (who have outscored opponents by an average of 11.7 points per game).

They’ve yet to face the two best teams in the league — the Minnesota Lynx and the Las Vegas Aces — but they’re right on track among the best teams in the league.

Stewart, who is 31, is having another MVP-caliber season. She’s averaging 19.9 points (the 6th-most in the league) and 9 rebounds (the 7th-most in the league), along with 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks. Alongside her, Jonquel Jones (13.8 points, 9.2 rebounds) has held down the frontcourt, while Marine Johannes (11.6 points, 3.2 assists) and Pauline Astier (11.3 points, 3.9 assists)

Satou Sabally, the Liberty’s biggest offseason acquisition, has averaged 10.1 points in just 16 minutes off the bench. Johannes (43.4%), Austier (45.8%), and Sabally (41.9%) have all been scorching-hot from three.

All of this success has come with Sabrina Ionescu, a franchise cornerstone, appearing in only two games thus far. Ionescu missed time to begin the season with an ankle/foot injury, and was later sidelined for seven games with back soreness.

Ionescu averaged 15.7 points per game last season, and should return to her All-Star caliber play again at some point this season.

For now, the Liberty already look like one of the best teams in the league, their sloppy start a distant memory.

#York #Liberty #completely #bounced">The New York Liberty have completely bounced back  For a moment, it appeared that the New York Liberty might be the next WNBA team that boasted a great roster on paper, but with a roster that didn’t meaningfully translate to on-court success. The Liberty began the season with a 3-4 record, dropping two of their first three games against the Portland Fire, the league’s new expansion team.While the roster wasn’t fully available — Sabrina Ionescu, Satou Sabally, and Leonie Fiebich all missed significant time — for a moment, the slew of offseason moves that initially appeared to catapult the Liberty into title favorites resulted in lackluster play.But things have since dramatically changed. New York hasn’t lost a game since May 25th, rattling off seven straight wins. Some of those victories have come against bottom-feeders — they beat the Phoenix Mercury twice and Connecticut Sun once — but on Thursday, they put together perhaps their most impressive win of the season, a 14-point beatdown of the Atlanta Dream, who were 8-3 entering the game.In that one, Breanna Stewart, who has been New York’s most consistent and available player, led the way with 19 points and 11 rebounds. Satou Sabally (19 points), Marine Johannes (17 points), Pauline Austier (16 points), and Jonquel Jones (16 points) were all major contributors.Three days later, the Liberty put together a 22-point beatdown of the Washington Mystics, and Stewart recorded a career-high 7 blocks.The Liberty are 7-0 with Fiebich in the lineup; the 26-year-old missed the start of the WNBA season as she finished her season with the Spanish club Valencia Basket. Fiebich is averaging 7 points and 2.9 rebounds per game but has a +8 +/- rating, the fifth-best in the WNBA. The Liberty now have the second-best plus-minus in the league (a +7), trailing only the Lynx (who have outscored opponents by an average of 11.7 points per game).They’ve yet to face the two best teams in the league — the Minnesota Lynx and the Las Vegas Aces — but they’re right on track among the best teams in the league.Stewart, who is 31, is having another MVP-caliber season. She’s averaging 19.9 points (the 6th-most in the league) and 9 rebounds (the 7th-most in the league), along with 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks. Alongside her, Jonquel Jones (13.8 points, 9.2 rebounds) has held down the frontcourt, while Marine Johannes (11.6 points, 3.2 assists) and Pauline Astier (11.3 points, 3.9 assists)Satou Sabally, the Liberty’s biggest offseason acquisition, has averaged 10.1 points in just 16 minutes off the bench. Johannes (43.4%), Austier (45.8%), and Sabally (41.9%) have all been scorching-hot from three.All of this success has come with Sabrina Ionescu, a franchise cornerstone, appearing in only two games thus far. Ionescu missed time to begin the season with an ankle/foot injury, and was later sidelined for seven games with back soreness.Ionescu averaged 15.7 points per game last season, and should return to her All-Star caliber play again at some point this season.For now, the Liberty already look like one of the best teams in the league, their sloppy start a distant memory.  #York #Liberty #completely #bounced

The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) has said female athletes shall be ineligible to compete in any of its competitions from 2027 without undergoing the SRY (Sex-Determining Region Y) gene test.

In order to ensure fairness, World Athletics (WA) introduced the once-in-a-lifetime test for athletes wishing to compete in the female category at the Tokyo World Championships last year.

Starting with the Federation meet in Ranchi last month, the AFI also began testing female athletes in domestic competitions. The cost is borne by the AFI, and the test is done by a recognised lab.

READ: Indian Athletics Series-11: Sanjivani Jadhav edges Harmilan Bains to win women’s 5,000m

Ahead of the 65th National Inter-State meet in Bhubaneswar later this month, the AFI, through its latest circular, has asked female athletes to carry requisite documents, their passport and AFI UID card, for the test.

The AFI alerted the athletes about the consequences of skipping the test this year. “With effect from next year, no athlete shall be eligible to participate in any competition organised by the AFI without undergoing the SRY gene test,” said the circular.

It said the SRY gene test must be conducted only by MedGenome Labs Ltd., the laboratory accredited and authorised by the AFI, and an athlete must seek a letter from the AFI prior to the test.

Published on Jun 16, 2026

#AFI #SRY #gene #test #mandatory #women #athletes">AFI to make SRY gene test mandatory for women athletes from 2027  The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) has said female athletes shall be ineligible to compete in any of its competitions from 2027 without undergoing the SRY (Sex-Determining Region Y) gene test.In order to ensure fairness, World Athletics (WA) introduced the once-in-a-lifetime test for athletes wishing to compete in the female category at the Tokyo World Championships last year.Starting with the Federation meet in Ranchi last month, the AFI also began testing female athletes in domestic competitions. The cost is borne by the AFI, and the test is done by a recognised lab.READ: Indian Athletics Series-11: Sanjivani Jadhav edges Harmilan Bains to win women’s 5,000mAhead of the 65th National Inter-State meet in Bhubaneswar later this month, the AFI, through its latest circular, has asked female athletes to carry requisite documents, their passport and AFI UID card, for the test.The AFI alerted the athletes about the consequences of skipping the test this year. “With effect from next year, no athlete shall be eligible to participate in any competition organised by the AFI without undergoing the SRY gene test,” said the circular.It said the SRY gene test must be conducted only by MedGenome Labs Ltd., the laboratory accredited and authorised by the AFI, and an athlete must seek a letter from the AFI prior to the test.Published on Jun 16, 2026  #AFI #SRY #gene #test #mandatory #women #athletes

Indian Athletics Series-11: Sanjivani Jadhav edges Harmilan Bains to win women’s 5,000m

Ahead of the 65th National Inter-State meet in Bhubaneswar later this month, the AFI, through its latest circular, has asked female athletes to carry requisite documents, their passport and AFI UID card, for the test.

The AFI alerted the athletes about the consequences of skipping the test this year. “With effect from next year, no athlete shall be eligible to participate in any competition organised by the AFI without undergoing the SRY gene test,” said the circular.

It said the SRY gene test must be conducted only by MedGenome Labs Ltd., the laboratory accredited and authorised by the AFI, and an athlete must seek a letter from the AFI prior to the test.

Published on Jun 16, 2026

#AFI #SRY #gene #test #mandatory #women #athletes">AFI to make SRY gene test mandatory for women athletes from 2027

The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) has said female athletes shall be ineligible to compete in any of its competitions from 2027 without undergoing the SRY (Sex-Determining Region Y) gene test.

In order to ensure fairness, World Athletics (WA) introduced the once-in-a-lifetime test for athletes wishing to compete in the female category at the Tokyo World Championships last year.

Starting with the Federation meet in Ranchi last month, the AFI also began testing female athletes in domestic competitions. The cost is borne by the AFI, and the test is done by a recognised lab.

READ: Indian Athletics Series-11: Sanjivani Jadhav edges Harmilan Bains to win women’s 5,000m

Ahead of the 65th National Inter-State meet in Bhubaneswar later this month, the AFI, through its latest circular, has asked female athletes to carry requisite documents, their passport and AFI UID card, for the test.

The AFI alerted the athletes about the consequences of skipping the test this year. “With effect from next year, no athlete shall be eligible to participate in any competition organised by the AFI without undergoing the SRY gene test,” said the circular.

It said the SRY gene test must be conducted only by MedGenome Labs Ltd., the laboratory accredited and authorised by the AFI, and an athlete must seek a letter from the AFI prior to the test.

Published on Jun 16, 2026

#AFI #SRY #gene #test #mandatory #women #athletes

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