| Misconduct in football (soccer) is any | | | | When a goalkeeper is sent off (regardless of |
| conduct by a player which is deemed by the | | | | a second yellow or a direct red card), the |
| referee to warrant a disciplinary sanction | | | | goalkeeper must leave the field immediately. |
| (caution or send-off) in accordance with Law | | | | If a substitute goalkeeper is available, he |
| 12 the Laws of the Game. | | | | can be brought on at the expense of an |
| | | | outfield player. If no substitute goalkeeper |
| Misconduct may occur at any time, including | | | | is available, or the team has already made |
| when the ball is out of play, during | | | | the maximum permitted substitutions, an |
| half-time and before and after the game. | | | | outfield player has to go in goal. This often |
| Further, both players and substitutes may be | | | | happened in the period when teams were only |
| sanctioned for misconduct. This is unlike | | | | allowed one or no substitutes, and on |
| fouls, which may only be committed by players | | | | occasion outfield players were known to |
| when the ball is in play. | | | | perform very well in goal, some even saving |
| | | | penalty kicks. |
| Players are cautioned with a yellow card, and | | | | |
| sent off with a red card, which sometimes | | | | Cautionable offences (Yellow Card) A player |
| have slightly rounded edges. | | | | is cautioned and shown the yellow card if he |
| | | | she commits any of the following offences: |
| Players are cautioned with a yellow card, and | | | | Unsporting behaviour Dissent by word or |
| sent off with a red card, which sometimes | | | | action Persistent infringement on the Laws of |
| have slightly rounded edges. | | | | the Game Delaying the restart of play Failure |
| | | | to respect the required distance when play is |
| Misconduct may result in the player either | | | | restarted with a corner kick, throw-in or |
| receiving a caution (indicated by a yellow | | | | free kick Entering or re-entering the field |
| card) or being sent off (indicated by a red | | | | of play without the referee’s |
| card). When a player is cautioned, the | | | | permission Deliberately leaving the field of |
| player's details are then (traditionally) | | | | play without the referee’s permission. |
| recorded by the referee in a small notebook; | | | | |
| hence a caution is also known as a booking. | | | | A subsitute or substituted player is |
| The referee has considerable discretion in | | | | cautioned and shown the yellow card if he |
| applying the Laws. In particular, the offence | | | | she commits any of the following three |
| of "unsporting behaviour" may be used to deal | | | | offences: Unsporting behaviour Showing |
| with most events that violate the spirit of | | | | dissent by word or action Delaying the |
| the game, even if they are not listed as | | | | restart of play Sending-off offences (Red |
| specific offences. | | | | Card) A player, substitute or substituted |
| | | | player is sent-off and shown the red card if |
| The system of cautioning and sending-off has | | | | he/she commits any of the following offences: |
| existed for many decades, but the idea of | | | | Serious foul play. This includes a tackle |
| language-neutral coloured cards originated | | | | that endangers the safety of an opponent, |
| with British referee Ken Aston, who got the | | | | such as tackling from behind Violent conduct |
| idea while sitting in his car at a traffic | | | | Spitting at an opponent or any other person |
| light. The first major use of the cards was | | | | Denying the opposing team a goal or an |
| in the 1970 FIFA World Cup, but they were not | | | | obvious goalscoring opportunity by |
| made mandatory at all levels until 1992. | | | | deliberately handling the ball Denying an |
| | | | obvious goalscoring opportunity to an |
| A player who has been cautioned may continue | | | | opponent moving towards the player’s |
| to play in a match, but many football leagues | | | | goal by an offence punishable by a free kick |
| and federations have off-field penalties for | | | | or a penalty kick (known as a professional |
| players who accumulate a certain number of | | | | foul) Using offensive or insulting or abusive |
| cautions in a season, tournament or phase of | | | | language and/or gestures Receiving a second |
| a tournament. Typically these take the form | | | | caution (yellow card) in the same match. |
| of a suspension from playing in their team's | | | | |
| next game after that number of cautions has | | | | A player, substitute or substituted player |
| been reached (two in international | | | | who has been sent off and shown the red card |
| tournaments and usually four or five in a | | | | must leave the vicinity of the field of play |
| league season). Such off-field penalties are | | | | and the technical area. |
| determined by league rules. When a player is | | | | |
| shown a second yellow card in the same match, | | | | At 2006 FIFA World Cup, for the first time in |
| he is then shown the red card and sent off. | | | | the history of international football, a |
| | | | player was given three cautions during the |
| A player who has been shown the red card | | | | same game. The referee, Graham Poll, |
| (whether directly or as a result of having | | | | erroneously did not send off the player, |
| been shown two yellow cards) is required to | | | | Josip Šimunić, after his second yellow |
| leave the field of play immediately and must | | | | card, and later sent him off when he was |
| take no further part in the game; failure to | | | | booked again for dissent after the game had |
| do so will result in forfeit of the game by | | | | finished. |
| that player's team. The player who has been | | | | |
| sent off cannot be replaced during the game; | | | | Discretion The referee has a very large |
| their team must continue the game with one | | | | degree of discretion as to whether an act |
| player fewer. If this causes the team to have | | | | constitutes a cautionable offence under these |
| fewer than the required minimum number | | | | very broad categories. For this reason, |
| players, then the match is abandoned. In | | | | refereeing decisions are sometimes |
| addition, a red card usually results in | | | | controversial. Other Laws may specify |
| additional sanctions, most commonly in the | | | | circumstances under which a caution should or |
| form of suspensions from playing for a number | | | | must be given, and numerous directives to |
| of future games, although financial fines may | | | | referees also provide guidance. A |
| also be imposed. The exact punishments are | | | | controversial change in 2004 to the Laws of |
| determined by tournament or competition rules | | | | the Game championed by FIFA President Sepp |
| (not by the Laws of the Game). | | | | Blatter mandated automatic yellow cards for |
| | | | players who remove their shirts after goals |
| However, FIFA in particular has been adamant | | | | (shirt removal has been considered |
| that a red card in any football competition | | | | unsportsmanlike behavior by FIFA since at |
| must result in the guilty player being | | | | least the 1980s, but punishing the player was |
| suspended for at least the next game without | | | | left to the referee until 2004). Some |
| the right to appeal. | | | | domestic associations, such as the English |
| | | | Football Association have openly defied |
| However, the English Football Association has | | | | FIFA's directive, instructing their referees |
| defied FIFA with respect to appeals. As of | | | | to not caution players for removing their |
| 2006 in England, if a direct red card is | | | | shirts after a goal, unless other |
| shown the player is sent off immediately and | | | | circumstances warrant it. |
| faces an automatic three-match ban, but this | | | | |
| can be overturned with a successful appeal. | | | | Restarts If the ball is out of play when the |
| | | | misconduct occurs, play is restarted |
| The onus is on the player to prove his case | | | | according to the reason the ball went out of |
| and the ban can be extended if the FA deems | | | | play before the misconduct. |
| the appeal to be frivolous. In the case of a | | | | |
| red card that was shown after two yellow | | | | If the misconduct occurs when the ball is in |
| cards, the player is sent off and receives an | | | | play, play need not be stopped to administer |
| automatic one match ban without the right to | | | | a caution or send-off, as these may be done |
| appeal. | | | | at the next stoppage of play (this is usually |
| | | | the case when the opposing team has an |
| The FA's appeals policy is generally seen as | | | | advantage in having play continue). When this |
| quite restrictive and only a small percentage | | | | is the case play is restarted according the |
| of red cards are ever overturned. | | | | reason for the ball going out of play, e.g. a |
| Nonetheless, successful red card appeals have | | | | throw-in if play stopped due to the ball |
| become constant source of friction between | | | | crossing a touch line. |
| the FA and FIFA. FIFA President Sepp Blatter | | | | |
| has occasionally mooted suspending the FA | | | | If play is stopped to administer a caution or |
| from FIFA and barring England from | | | | send-off: If a foul has occurred as well as |
| international tournaments for its continued | | | | misconduct, play is restarted according to |
| defiance of FIFA directives, but as of 2006 | | | | the nature of the foul (either an indirect |
| had taken no further action. | | | | free kick, direct free kick or penalty kick |
| | | | to the opposing team); If no foul under Law |
| In the 2006 FIFA World Cup, any player | | | | 12 has occurred, play is restarted with an |
| receiving a single yellow card during each of | | | | indirect free kick to the opposing team. |
| two group stage matches, or each of two | | | | |
| knockout stage matches had to serve a one | | | | Non-players Non-players such as managers and |
| match suspension for the next game. A single | | | | coaches may not be cautioned or sent-off in |
| yellow card did not carry over from the group | | | | the above manner. However, according to Law 5 |
| stage to the knockout stages. Should the | | | | the referee "takes action against team |
| player pick up his second yellow during the | | | | officials who fail to conduct themselves in a |
| team's final group match, he would miss the | | | | responsible manner and may, at his |
| Round of 16 if his team qualified for it. | | | | discretion, expel them from the field of play |
| | | | and its immediate surroundings." This usually |
| However, suspensions due to yellow cards do | | | | results in the expelled individual watching |
| not carry beyond the World Cup finals. | | | | the game from the stands (if they still want |
| | | | to). |