Referee Isidro Díaz de Mera confirmed the expulsion of Vinicius in Real Madrid's match against Villarreal, after the intervention of the VAR. The decision was based on the manual of the Technical Committee of Referees (CTA), which clearly establishes that hair pulling constitutes an action of violent conduct that deserves a red card.
The VAR had pointed out the Brazilian's action to Saliba, and the referee Díaz de Mera, at the request of the VAR, reviewed the video and applied the sanction. The CARD document, prepared by the CTA at the beginning of the season, includes all the behaviors that can lead to an expulsion. These include elbows, head butts, punches, slaps, neck grabs, pushes, kicks, bites and hair pulling, as long as they are done without contesting for the ball and with excessive force.
The manual defines violent conduct as “an action in which a player uses or attempts to use excessive force or brutality against an opponent, teammate, member of the referee team or any other person, without there being a dispute over the ball.” According to the rules of the game, such actions must be punished with expulsion. In this case, Vinicius's hair-pulling of Saliba fits into that category.
The referee must decide if the action is considered part of the play or if it is completely outside of it. If it is considered within the play, the sanction will be an expulsion; If it is determined that he is out of the play, the expulsion may be accompanied by a fine or an additional suspension. The RFEF Disciplinary Committee will have to determine the final consequence for the player.
With the expulsion confirmed, Real Madrid lost one of its starters and will have to adjust its lineup for the next match. Villarreal, for its part, will benefit from a numerical advantage in the rest of the match. The case will continue under the scrutiny of the Disciplinary Committee, which will decide if the sanction will be only expulsion or if other disciplinary measures will be added.