Justifying an overhaul of its ethics code, FIFA asserted Tuesday that people who "tarnish the reputations of others" must be banned from football.
The Associated Press revealed Monday that a new offence of defamation had been added to the document governing the conduct of participants in the game, with scope for a ban of up to five years from football.
While the code provides no precise definition of defamation, FIFA has now provided further context in a statement, saying it is "the act of communicating false information that harms the reputation of an individual or a group.