Players found guilty of discrimination in English football face a minimum 10-match ban under Football Association rules, a significant escalation from the FA’s previous six-match minimum. FIFA and UEFA ratified their own minimum 10-match ban for racism or discrimination over a decade ago, in May 2013.
The FA had previously set its minimum sanction for discriminatory conduct at six matches, a threshold established in 2019. Second offenses already carried a 10-match minimum. The FA’s guidelines allow sanctions to range from 6 to 12 matches for discriminatory conduct, with limited exceptions carved out for offenses deemed to lack genuine intent.
Record numbers of discrimination reports were lodged during the 2025-26 English football season, suggesting the problem has been growing rather than shrinking despite years of awareness campaigns.
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