A yellow card in football is an official caution issued by the referee. It warns a player, substitute, substituted player or team official that their conduct has breached the Laws of the Game. The person may continue to take part unless they receive a second caution in the same match.
The card is shown for more than just a hard tackle. It can be awarded for delaying the restart, dissent, failing to respect the required distance at a free kick, entering or leaving the field without permission, excessive celebration and several forms of unsporting behaviour.
What a yellow card means in football
A yellow card records a caution during the match. The referee normally shows it after stopping play, although the referee can apply advantage and show the card at the next stoppage if stopping immediately would benefit the offending team.
A caution does not automatically remove a player from the match. However, the player must avoid another caution. If the same player receives two yellow cards in one game, the referee shows a red card and sends the player off. The two cautions are treated as the reason for the dismissal, even though the player does not usually receive a separate second-yellow card in addition to the red card.
Why players receive yellow cards
The Laws of the Game identify several common cautionable offences. A referee may show a yellow card for:
- Unsporting behaviour: This includes a reckless challenge, stopping a promising attack through an offence, handling the ball to interfere with an attack, or attempting to deceive the referee.
- Dissent: Showing disagreement with a referee’s decision through words or actions can lead to a caution.
- Delaying the restart: Holding the ball, standing in front of a free kick, pretending to take a restart, or deliberately slowing a substitution may be punished.
- Failing to respect the required distance: Players must give the correct distance at free kicks, corners and throw-ins where the Laws require it.
- Persistent offences: Repeatedly breaking the Laws can result in a caution even when no single foul appears serious enough on its own.
- Entering or leaving without permission: A player who enters, re-enters or leaves the field without the referee’s permission may be cautioned, subject to the specific circumstances.
- Excessive goal celebrations: Removing a shirt, climbing a perimeter fence, gesturing provocatively or using an offensive gesture can result in a yellow card.
- Video review misconduct: In competitions using VAR, entering the referee review area or making excessive gestures demanding a review may be cautionable.
A reckless tackle is commonly associated with a yellow card. A challenge using excessive force or endangering an opponent’s safety is more serious and can be punished with a straight red card. The referee considers the intensity, point of contact, speed and overall danger of the challenge.
Yellow card accumulation and suspensions
A yellow card in one match does not always mean an automatic suspension for the next match. Suspension rules depend on the competition regulations. A league, domestic cup, continental competition or international tournament may each use a different accumulation threshold.
For example, a competition may suspend a player after reaching a set number of cautions across league matches. Some competitions reset the accumulation after a particular stage, while others carry cards into later rounds. A yellow card received in one competition normally does not automatically count in another unless the regulations specifically say so.
In African football, the relevant rules may come from a national federation, a league organiser, CAF or FIFA, depending on the fixture. The safest way to confirm a suspension is to check the official competition regulations and disciplinary bulletin rather than assume that every tournament uses the same threshold.
What happens after two yellow cards?
Two yellow cards received by the same player in the same match result in a sending-off. The player must leave the field and its immediate technical area, and cannot be replaced by a substitute. The team therefore continues with one fewer player.
The player is also normally suspended for at least the next match under the relevant competition rules. A disciplinary body can impose additional punishment if the dismissal involved serious misconduct. A caution from an earlier match is not normally combined with a caution in the current match to create an in-game dismissal; match officials deal with two cautions in the same game as the specific second-yellow offence.
Can a substitute or coach receive a yellow card?
Yes. Yellow cards are not limited to the 11 players on the field. A substitute, substituted player or team official can be cautioned for misconduct. Coaches and other technical staff may be booked for dissent, entering the referee review area, delaying a restart, gesturing provocatively or interfering with the match.
If the offender cannot be identified, the senior coach in the technical area may receive the sanction under the competition’s disciplinary procedures. A team official who receives two cautions in the same match can be sent off, although the person’s departure does not reduce the number of players on the field.
Does a yellow card change the restart?
The yellow card itself does not decide whether play restarts with a free kick, penalty kick, throw-in or dropped ball. The restart is based on the offence and where it happened. For instance, a player may be cautioned for stopping a promising attack with a foul, while the opposing team receives a direct free kick or penalty kick.
The outcome can differ when the referee applies advantage. If the attacking team keeps a meaningful advantage after a foul, play continues and the caution may be shown at the next stoppage. If the offence also meets the conditions for a sending-off, the referee must apply the relevant Laws of the Game rather than treating the card as a routine booking.
Frequently asked questions about yellow cards
How long does a yellow card last?
The caution remains recorded for that match. It does not disappear at half-time. Whether it contributes to a later suspension depends on the competition’s accumulation rules.
Can a referee cancel a yellow card?
A referee may change a decision before play restarts if new information shows that the caution was given to the wrong player or for the wrong incident. Once the match has restarted, the referee’s decision is generally handled through the competition’s disciplinary or review process.
Can a goalkeeper receive a yellow card?
Yes. A goalkeeper can be cautioned for offences such as delaying a restart, leaving the penalty area without permission, dissent, encroachment at a penalty kick or unsporting behaviour.
Does a yellow card carry into extra time?
A caution received during normal time usually remains relevant during extra time in the same match. Competition regulations determine how cards are treated after extra time and whether certain cautions are cleared before a later stage.
