Yellow card amnesty agreed for World Cup playoffs in Europe

ZURICH (AP) — FIFA says it’s approved an amnesty for yellow cards shown in European qualifying games for the World Cup. It has lifted the threat of suspension from the playoffs in March for dozens of players in the 12 teams involved. European soccer body UEFA had asked FIFA to help clean up players’ disciplinary records. No player can now be banned for one of the playoff finals on March 29 because of getting a yellow card in the semifinals played five days earlier. The amnesty does not reprieve Sweden’s Zlatan Ibrahimović and others who are already suspended for the playoff semifinals.