English officials affected: Premier League referees Michael Oliver and Anthony Taylor have been banned from officiating the upcoming World Cup final , despite their strong performances earlier in the competition.
The two highly-rated officials will play no further part in the latter stages of the tournament following the dramatic weekend results that saw both England and Argentina advance to the semi-finals after extra time.
Home nation restrictions: Under standard FIFA regulations, referees are strictly prohibited from taking charge of matches involving their home country in order to ensure impartiality on the pitch.
This fundamental rule immediately disqualified Oliver and Taylor from officiating any potential semi-final or final match involving England, effectively halving their opportunities to secure a high-profile fixture.
Direct consequence rule: The stringent regulations also prevent referees from overseeing games that have a direct and immediate impact on their home nation's next fixture in the tournament bracket.
