Yellow and Red Cards

In the U.S., we are fond of the baseball analogy, three strikes and you’re out. A case could be made that the analogy also holds true in soccer. But from an official caution perspective, it’s really two strikes and you’re out. I could only speculate on the origin. Perhaps it is because the modern game developed out of a sport for English “gentlemen.”

Personally, I find the soccer approach to be vastly superior to the three strike system as it significantly reduces the gamesmanship opportunities available to the players for testing the resolve of the referee. Once officially cautioned, a soccer player does not have the luxury of saying to himself, “OK, I can try it once more to see if he really means it.” A second caution, whether for the same type of offense or another, leads automatically to the red card and a send-off. There is no third strike.

But let’s back up a minute and fill in the definitions.

As with many sports, the game officials can administer verbal warnings which have no authoritative standing, but do serve to put players “on notice” for unacceptable behavior, although that also is not official terminology. If you still want to think in terms of three strikes, that would be the first.

In soccer, an official caution is always accompanied by the display of the yellow card and the recording of the player’s identifying information (name, jersey number) and the reason for the caution in the referee’s notebook. The purpose of the yellow card is simple and straightforward. It communicates to everyone – player, coach, spectators – that the player has received an official caution. Whether or not a verbal warning has preceded the caution, you could think of the yellow card as the second of the three strikes.

A send-off is the ejection of a player. It is a permanent exclusion for the remainder of the match. A send-off is always accompanied by the display of the red card and the recording of the player’s information and the reason in the referee’s notebook.

A caution can be administered and the yellow card displayed for a variety of reasons. The most common are unsporting behavior, dissent with a decision of the referee, persistently infringing the laws of the game (usually repetitive fouling), delaying the restart of the game and failing to respect the required distance (for example, 10 yards at a free kick).

Players are most commonly sent-off for serious foul play, violent conduct, spitting, cursing, denying a goal by a DFK foul or by handling the ball (field players, not the keeper), and for a second yellow card caution in the same match.

Typically, a foul is only careless play that results in someone being kicked, tripped, etc. and the only punishment required is the free kick.

In a foul situation, the caution and the yellow card are generally associated with reckless play. “Reckless” means the player has made unnatural movements designed to intimidate an opponent or to gain an unfair advantage. An example might be the swinging of an elbow (which does NOT connect!) But remember, the yellow card can also be shown for behavior such as dissent, failure to respect the distance, and other situations that do not involve a foul.

In a foul situation, the red card is shown and the player is sent-off for use of excessive force. This means the player has far exceeded the use of force necessary to make a fair play on the ball and has placed the opponent in considerable danger of bodily harm. Swinging an elbow and striking with it would certainly merit consideration for a red card.

In the game of soccer, there is no required escalation process. A yellow card does NOT have to be shown before a red card can be issued. Situations often naturally progress from verbal warnings, to yellow cards, and possibly to red cards. But certain behaviors and game situations will produce a red card as the very first response by the referee. For example, spitting at a person or violent behavior on the field will draw the red card immediately, even if the game has not yet even started.

At times, a fairly innocuous-appearing foul may earn a caution for a player. Several factors my lead to this result, including:

• Persistent infringement – the referee has seen a pattern of fouls from a player and the behavior must be addressed to prevent retaliation or an escalation of fouling in the match;
• Tactical fouls – the team in possession of the ball may have created a good opportunity to score a goal and the only "sure" defense is to stop play by delivering a foul. That is unsporting behavior.

Unless league or tournament rules specifically require otherwise, cautions and send-offs, and their related cards, are only directed at players and substitutes. Of course, misbehaving coaches and spectators can be dismissed from the field, but they are not officially “cautioned” or “sent-off.”

In NASA soccer, the display of cards is rare. I have personally shown only 2 in the past five years. Most of the situations that arise in NASA league are purely careless. Recklessness and excessive force are rarely present. In my personal experience, the overwhelming majority, if not absolutely all, of the players would never for a minute consider being intentionally violent. Their minds simply don’t work that way. I would say that if intimidation crosses the minds of any of the players, it would be only a few of the very oldest U-10 boys and not with any regularity.

That being said, however, I have seen a number of kamikaze players with delusions of indestructibility. They hurl themselves into every situation of the game with utter abandon and without fear of injury to themselves or others. That type of behavior has to be judged as reckless, especially if directed at the goalkeeper. Since the paramount concern of the referee must always be the safety of the players, I felt that displaying the yellow card would have a positive affect on the awareness of these players. In both case, I believe I was correct, but it is still not a happy choice when dealing with 9 and 10 year olds.

It is hardly an issue in NASA, but as players move up in age, it is prudent to realize that tournaments and leagues generally apply sanctions to players for accumulation of cards. They often use a point system to administer game suspensions. A single red card, for instance, will earn the player an immediate disciplinary suspension of at least one game and possibly more, depending on the underlying basis for the send-off.

The referee is under no obligation to explain his calls to anyone – even the coaches. Cautions and send-offs are documented on the game card and can be determined from that card after the game, by those with access to it. But you may live your entire life never knowing what a referee saw that you didn't.

Irrespective of what coaches or anyone else may say, cards are never "mandatory." No call is "mandatory." Remember from a previous column, "In the opinion of the referee…"