The German Football Federation (DFB) will decide after the World Cup whether or not to adopt a new rule under which players can be sent off if they cover their mouth when confronting an opponent.

The rule-making International Football Association Board (IFAB) decided on the regulation on Tuesday at a meeting in Vancouver ahead of Thursday's congress of the ruling body FIFA in the Canadian city.

It is to be used by governing body FIFA at the June 11-July 19 World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

DFB referee body spokesman Alex Feuerherdt told dpa on Wednesday that "it will be decided at a later stage whether the rule will be implemented in Germany after the World Cup."

The IFAB said that implementing the rule is for now at the discretion of event organizers but it could become a mandatory regulation in the future.

FIFA proposed the new rule after a Champions League incident from February in which Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior claimed he was racially abused by Benfica player Gianluca Prestianni, who had covered his mouth while confronting the Brazilian.

Prestianni admitted to have used a homephobic slur and was recently banned for six matches, three of them suspended, by UEFA.