Why complex La Liga rule will force Vinicius Jr to miss El Clasico as referee remark emerges

Vinicius Junior could escape a maximum punishment for pulling the hair of an opponent during Real Madrid's 1-0 win over Villarreal - but the referee's report indicates he will not play in El Clasico against Barcelona.

Vinicius was shown a straight red card by referee Isidro Diaz de Mera Escuderos for pulling the hair of Nathan Saliba during the second half.

The Brazilian had just scored to make it 2-0, but the goal was ruled out and the red card given. He reportedly apologised to his team-mates but was left not happy with another aspect of the decision - and now faces an anxious wait to find out how long he will be banned for.

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Why Vinicius Jr's red card situation is complicated

In his match report, Diaz de Mera noted that Vinicius had been sent off 'for pulling an opponent's hair while the ball was in play, even though the ball was not in dispute between them'.

That note is critical because it means that, rather than the automatic one-match suspension, Vinicius now faces the prospect of being banned for between two to three matches because his action is classed as being off the ball.

According to Spanish outlet COPE, Real are prepared to receive a three-match suspension for Vinicius but plan to appeal that sanction, and are said to be hopeful that it will be reduced to two matches.

Real manager Jose Mourinho refused to do press duties at all following the victory, reportedly because he was concerned that his comments could land him in hot water with La Liga ahead of crucial upcoming matches against Sevilla and Barcelona.

Currently, Vinicius is only set to miss the Sevilla fixture, but any further suspension will cause him to miss El Clasico as well - and, according to the RFEF rules, that is exactly what should happen.

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Precedent set over hair pull red cards

There is precedent when it comes to punishing hair pulls, from various leagues across the men's and women's game.

In May, Mallorca defender Johan Mojica was banned for two matches by a La Liga committee for pulling the hair of Levante's Roger Brugue.

A similar incident to the one involving Vinicius occurred in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) last week, when Portland Thorns star forward Sophia Wilson pulled the hair of an opponent, while off the ball, during a match against Boston Legacy.

Albeit a different league to La Liga with their own regulations, the NWSL decided to impose a two-match suspension on Wilson for what they deemed to be 'major game misconduct'. Thorns head coach Robert Vilahamn said that Wilson had 'tried to pull back and obviously reached her hair'.

Part of the relevant Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) regulation, in terms of the Vinicius incident, reads as follows: "Violent conduct occurring during the course of play or as a direct consequence of a specific game action - provided the action creates a risk but results in no actual harm or injury - shall be sanctioned with a suspension of one to three matches or for a period of up to one month."

However, because the action occurred away from 'the immediate action of play', the following Article 130.2 comes into play: "If the action described in the preceding paragraph occurs away from the immediate action of play - such as when there is no possibility of contesting the ball or while play is stopped - it shall be sanctioned with a suspension of two to three matches, without prejudice to the provisions of Article 103 of this Code."