Nothing changes a match faster than a red card. And a yellow card in the first minutes of the game can make a defender scared to make another tackle for the rest of the match. In this video, we’ll break down exactly what yellow and red cards mean, why referees give them, and how they impact a game or an entire tournament.

WHAT DO THE YELLOW AND RED CARDS MEAN?

In soccer, yellow and red cards are part of the Laws of the Game, written by the IFAB (international football association board) and used worldwide.

A yellow card is a warning — an official caution. You can only receive one yellow card per game and stay in the game. If you receive a second yellow, then you automatically get a red card.
And a red card means you are sent off and your team must continue with one fewer player. Sometimes you can get a straight red, even without getting a yellow card first.

The math of cards don’t end at the game. If you have collected 5 cards in the league in different matches, you will likely get a ban of one match. Same punishment comes for a straight red card. However, depending on the tournament and the situation, those can vary. Sometimes the accumulated cards are cleared before the knockout phase of a tournament, so you don’t get any punishment for them. However, a straight red can also lead to extended ban, depending on the context that led to the red card.

WHO CAN RECEIVE YELLOW AND RED CARDS?

Cards aren’t only for players on the pitch. Referees can show cards to players, substitutes, substituted players, but also members of the coaching staff. While most of the cards are usually shown to the players on the field, we will focus on them. All the others are usually doing something completely inappropriate that disrupts the match. If you’re involved in the match, you’re responsible for your behavior.

WHEN DO REFEREES GIVE A YELLOW CARD?

There are seven main cautionable offences, and knowing them helps players and coaches understand a ref’s thinking.

1. Unsporting behavior

This can be because of reckless tackles or tactical fouls. For example, a tackle with the primary purpose of stopping a player going for a counter attack would often be a called a tactical foul and is a yellow card. A reckless tackle is more of the type of foul, often with some extra force. The yellow card for simulation if when a player is trying to pretend that was fouled, even though they weren’t – often to try to get a penalty, a free kick or a yellow card for the opponent. Finally, an excessive celebration is self-explanatory, but is most common when a player takes off their shirt while celebrating a goal or leaves the field and goes into the stands to celebrate with the fans.

2. Dissent

Arguing, shouting, or showing disrespect toward the referee. This doesn’t mean that you cannot say anything to the referee, but it has to be respectful and limited in the length. The referee would often warn the player to stop when it’s close to the limit, but if they don’t then a yellow card will follow.

3. Persistent fouling

Committing several fouls over time. It is up to the referee to decide what the time is and how bad the fouls were. If you jump out compared to the other players and show a pattern, you will receive a yellow card. Again, a referee would often send a final warning to the player that on the next foul there will be a yellow card.

4. Delaying the restart

Holding the ball, kicking it away, time-wasting. When a team is leading and wants to waste time, or maybe kicks the ball away after a foul to stop a counter attack, then the referee can show the yellow card to the player who causes these offenses. It is again a judgment call.

5. Failing to respect distance

Blocking a free kick or not giving the required space. Sometimes a referee needs to measure the distance, usually when the freekick is closer to the goal, and defending players must respect that distance. However, even with unmeasured distance, the players need to give reasonable space for the free kick to be taken.

6. Entering or leaving the field without permission

Rushing onto or off the field illegally. This doesn’t really happen and usually a quick check with the referee solves the issue.

7. Other illegal behavior

Such as ignoring instructions or behaving irresponsibly. It really is a catch-all for anything that a player or a coach might do that is inappropriate. We cannot predict everything that a person might do, so the rulebook gives this discretionary right to the referee.

WHEN DO REFEREES GIVE A RED CARD?

A yellow card is the referee’s way of saying:
“One more and you’re gone.”

A red card is reserved for the most serious offences. Referees don’t like giving red cards even less because it’s puts this decision as a deciding factor in the game. The seven sending-off offences are:

1. Serious foul play

Dangerous tackles that risk injury. This doesn’t mean that every injury is a red card, but also a lack of injury doesn’t mean that it’s not. The excessive force, malicious intent, or even disregard for the opponent’s safety, can all be the reasons for this. It’s hard to determine this, so often VAR (Visual Assisted Referee) helps to look at it, where they check of the severity of the foul.

2. Violent conduct

Striking, punching, elbows off the ball. The difference between this one and the previous one is that there is often no soccer involved in this one. The famous Zidane head punch was when the ball was on the other side of the field. So there is nothing to review – any significant physical contact without a play involved is a straight red card. One more bizarre case happened in the fall of 2025 where an Everton player got in an argument with their teammate, punched them and got a red card, as it is by the rulebook.

3. Spitting at someone

Automatic red. Nothing too much to discuss here. It’s been common enough over the years that the rulebook calls it out explicitly.

4. Denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity (DOGSO)

Whether by foul or handball. We have seen both. Sometimes there is a cross to the penalty box, and the last defender does a shirt pull or the goalkeeper slides with a foul on the striker who is free in front of the goal. They often are aware of this, but they would rather take a red card for the team than let the opposition score. If an outfield player saves a shot on goal with their hand even not on purpose, it is still a red card.

5. Using offensive or abusive language or gestures

Verbal or physical insults. Again, a bit of a catch-all for any bad behavior towards the opponents, the referee, the audience and even their teammates. Any racist, nationalistic, homophobic, or even just excessively abusive and insulting language or gestures will easily result in a red card.

6. Receiving a second yellow card

Two yellows = red. It is not uncommon for a player to get a second yellow card over 90 minutes. They are often targeted by the opponents knowingly. The attackers try to play against them because they know they will need perfection or they get another yellow card. Also, a player with a yellow card sometimes got it out of frustration, so again a perfect candidate for a second one.

When a red card is shown, the player must leave immediately, and the team plays the rest of the match with 10.

CARD CONSEQUENCES AT THE WORLD CUP

Red cards are often reviewed after the match by the organizers of the league or the tournament. Sometimes that means an extensive ban of more matches and other times it might mean a shorter ban. In youth leagues, it is often a default ban without a review. In the World Cup, discipline matters:

• Yellow cards accumulate

Too many in consecutive matches can lead to a suspension. It is often 2 or 3 yellow cards that cause the suspension of one match. FIFA sometimes resets yellow cards before the semifinals to prevent suspensions in the final.

• Red cards carry automatic bans

Usually at least one match, but serious incidents can lead to more.

All World Cup matches follow the IFAB Laws of the Game, the global rulebook for soccer.

Any rule changes between now and the tournament — especially around handball, tackles, and VAR — will be based on IFAB updates.

There are no special or unique card rules for the World Cup.
The competition simply follows the laws exactly as written.