What do yellow and red cards mean?
A formal warning. The player stays on the field.
Two yellows in the same match = automatic red card and ejection.
Immediate ejection from the match.
The team plays the rest of the match with 10 players — no replacement allowed.
What gets you carded?
The referee decides — it's judgment, not a strict checklist. But generally:
Yellow card:
- Reckless foul (hard challenge without intent to injure)
- Deliberately wasting time
- Unsporting behavior — diving to fake a foul, removing shirt after a goal
- Persistent fouling
- Dissent — arguing aggressively with the referee
Straight red card (no yellow first):
- Violent conduct or serious foul play
- Deliberately handling the ball to deny an obvious goal
- Fouling the last player between an attacker and the goalkeeper
- Spitting, biting, or extreme verbal abuse toward the referee
What if the goalkeeper gets a red card?
This question always surprises people. The goalkeeper is sent off just like any other player. The team must use one of their 5 allowed substitutions to bring on a replacement goalkeeper. If they've already used all 5 subs, an outfield player has to put on the gloves.
This has actually happened. It's chaotic, and occasionally the emergency goalkeeper plays brilliantly. These games tend to be memorable.
Can VAR change a card decision?
Yes. The Video Assistant Referee can recommend the on-field referee review a decision on the pitchside monitor. The referee can then upgrade a yellow to a red, or in rare cases, rescind a red card entirely.
The referee always makes the final call — VAR advises but doesn't override.
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