FIFA needs to determine the appropriate punishment for Uruguay’s superstar striker Luis Suarez after he bit Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini during their World Cup match yesterday. This is the third time that Suarez has used his teeth during a soccer match, so previous punishments didn’t make an adequate impression on him. According to the rules, lifetime banishment doesn’t seem to be an option.
The case will now be managed by Swiss lawyer, Claudio Sulser, chairman of the FIFA disciplinary committee. A former international forward himself, Sulser has worked for four years at FIFA, first as head of its ethics committee and now the disciplinary panel.
Sulser can choose to judge the obvious offense within the scale of typical red-card incidents: A three-match ban may then be appropriate, banishing Suarez at least until the World Cup final should Uruguay advance through the knockout rounds.
There’s scope for a more severe sanction: under the guidelines a ban of up to 24 international matches could be applied.
Suarez and the Uruguay football federation had until 5 p.m. local time (4 p.m. EDT/2000 GMT) to present a case for the defense.
Personally, I think biting is so far outside what is acceptable that a repeat offender ought to be banished from the game. Why give him a fourth chance to maim someone? But a 24 match ban from international games would cover more than a year (e.g., Uruguay played 17 matches in 2013). What I think FIFA should do is give him the maximum penalty and then make a rule about biting that provides no third chances. Do it twice, and you’re banished forever.
Call it the Suarez Rule.