What Are Yellow and Red Cards in Football?
Few moments in football (soccer) attract more attention than when a referee pulls out a yellow or red card. These cards are shown by referees to discipline players or team officials, including managers, who have committed fouls or other offenses during a match, such as verbal abuse, time wasting, and unsporting behavior.
Before yellow and red cards existed, referees could warn or send off players. However, communicating those decisions with players from different linguistic backgrounds often proved challenging. The issue came to the fore during a match between Chile and Italy at the 1962 FIFA World Cup. Also called the āBattle of Santiagoā for its chaotic nature, the match witnessed violent fouls and fights. Referee Ken Aston, who struggled to communicate with players during the match, later found a solution at a traffic light in London. Aston noted that the universally recognized colors of a traffic light could be used in football matches. Yellow could be used for an initial warning, and red could signal a playerās dismissal. He presented his idea to FIFA, which used it for the first time at the 1970 FIFA World Cup.
A yellow card is meant as a warning for offenses such as reckless challenges, time wasting, unsporting behavior, or dissent. A referee can choose to give a second yellow card to a player who commits another offense. A player who receives two yellow cards in the same match is automatically shown a red card and must immediately leave the pitch, taking no further part in the match. A direct red card is shown to eject a player for more serious offenses, including dangerous tackles, physical aggression or altercations, offensive language or insults, and denying a clear goal-scoring opportunity. One of the most notable incidents of a red card shown at a FIFA World Cup was during the final between Italy and France in 2006. French captain Zinedine Zidane was shown a red card for headbutting Italian defender Marco Materazzi. If a player receives a red card and is sent off, the team must continue the match with one fewer player. From the 2026 World Cup onward, players leaving the pitch in protest of an officiating decision can be shown a red card.
Unlike American sports such as baseball and basketball, where an ejected player can be replaced, a football team cannot replace a player who has been sent off. In football, yellow and red cards affect both the player and the team and, in many cases, the outcome of the match.
Depending on tournament rules, players shown yellow or red cards can be suspended from additional matches. For instance, at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, a player who received two yellow cards in two separate matches or a red card in one match was suspended for the next game. Single yellow cards were reset after the quarterfinals, meaning that a player with one yellow card started the semifinal with a clean slate. It also meant that no player could miss the final or the third-place match because of a yellow card received in the semifinal. However, players who had already received two yellow cards or a red card and thus triggered a suspension did not benefit from the reset. For the 2026 World Cup, FIFA introduced a reset of cards after the group stage. Single yellow cards will now be cleared after both the group stage and quarterfinal. Another rule allows referees to show red cards to players who cover their mouth during confrontations, in an effort to deter hidden abusive comments. Paraguayan footballer Miguel AlmirĆ³n became the first player to be sent off under the rule at the 2026 World Cup.
Famous Yellow and Red Card Incidents at FIFA World Cups
Rigobert Song (1994 and 1998): The Cameroonian footballer became the first player to receive red cards at two different FIFA World Cups.
David Beckham (1998): The English midfielder was sent off in a round-of-16 match with Argentina after kicking Argentine midfielder Diego Simeone. England later lost on penalties.
The Battle of Nuremberg (2006): At the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Portugal and the Netherlands faced each other in an intense round-of-16 match, which produced 16 yellow cards and 4 red cards, the highest number of red cards shown at a World Cup match.
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Zinedine Zidane (2006): The French player received a red card in the last match of his careerāthe 2006 FIFA World Cup finalāfor headbutting Italian defender Marco Materazzi. Italy won the tournament on penalties.
Luis SuƔrez (2010): The Uruguayan footballer received a red card in the quarterfinal against Ghana for deliberately handling the ball at the goal line in extra time, preventing Ghana from scoring the winning goal. Ghanaian player Asamoah Gyan missed the resulting penalty and the match advanced to a penalty shootout, which Uruguay won.
The Battle of Lusail (2022): Argentinaās match against the Netherlands at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar was one of the most heated contests in the tournamentās history. The match saw the referee showing 18 yellow cards, a World Cup record, and 1 red card.
Folarin Balogun (2026): United States striker Folarin Balogun was shown a controversial red card in a round-of-32 match against Bosnia and Herzegovina. Although the decision initially ruled him out for the U.S.ā round-of-16 match against Belgium, FIFAās disciplinary committee later suspended the automatic one-match ban, allowing Balogun to play. The ruling was criticized by the Royal Belgian Football Association, which said the decision was against FIFAās disciplinary code. U.S. President Donald Trump reportedly asked FIFA President Gianni Infantino to review the decision and later praised the reversal.