Yellow card in football: Know its use and history 

Legendary Pele described football as a “beautiful game”, but if the fouls like cynical tackles, time-wasting, deliberate handballs, and dissent are not dealt with firmly by the match officials, the game can take an ugly turn very quickly.

To ensure football is played in the right spirit, the onfield referee shows a yellow card as a caution to a player, substitute on the bench, substituted player, or team official found guilty of committing fouls. These are as per the laws of the game laid down by the International Football Association Board (IFAB).

What is yellow card in football

The referee shows a yellow card to indicate a player or a team official has been officially cautioned. The referee notes the offender’s details, time, and the nature of the foul committed in a small notebook which is also called a booking.

Although accidents occur, referees are there to ensure the incidents of misconduct don’t go beyond the football’s fair play boundaries. A lack of respect for opponents, playing too aggressively, being dangerous and improper celebrations can all result in a yellow card.

A player or a team official on caution can continue to be a part of the game. However, a second yellow card results in a send-off (a red card).

During tournaments or club leagues, if a player receives a yellow card in two different games, he will be suspended from his team’s next fixture.

However, at the FIFA World Cup 2022, yellow cards are not carried forward from the quarter-finals to the semi-finals. Furthermore, a yellow card in the semis will not result in a suspension for the final.

When can players get a yellow card in football

• Disrespecting opponents

• Unsafe play (example - ‘reckless challenge’)

• Any offence (not only a foul) that interferes with or stops a promising attack.

• A player who fails to respect the four-metre distance from the dropped balls like throw-ins, free kicks, corner kicks, or goal kicks

• Showing dissent (public protest or disagreement with a match official’s decision)

• A goalkeeper can receive a yellow card for ‘illegally’ touching the ball a second time after a restart. eg. a goal kick or a free kick

• Entering or reentering the field of play without the referee's permission

• Deliberately leaving the field of play without the referee's permission

• Unsporting behaviour (as per referee’s discretion)

• Improper celebrations (Removing one's shirt or covering one's face with the shirt or entering spectator areas will result in a caution)

In matches using the VAR (video assistant referee) system, players can be cautioned for entering the referee review area or excessively demanding a ‘review’.

Yellow card for team officials

The IFAB rulebook states that if the offence is committed and the offender cannot be identified, the senior team coach present in the technical area will receive the caution.

Apart from penalising dissent, team officials can be shown a yellow card for offences that include but are not limited to:

• Not respecting the confines of their team’s technical area

• Delaying the restart of play by their team

• Deliberately entering the technical area of the opposing team

• Dissent by word or action by throwing/kicking drinks bottles or other objects

• Gestures that show a clear lack of respect for the match official(s) eg. sarcastic clapping

• Entering the referee review area

• Excessively/persistently gesturing for a red or yellow card

• Excessively showing the ‘TV signal’ for a VAR ‘review’

• Gesturing or acting in a provocative or inflammatory manner

• Persistent unacceptable behaviour (including repeated warning offences)

• Showing a lack of respect for the game

History of yellow cards

The players and team officials were cautioned and sent off even in 19th-century football but FIFA adopted the colour-coded yellow and red penalty card system only during the 1970 football World Cup.

British referee Ken Aston is credited for the idea of bringing visual representation into the game. He felt the need to communicate better when in charge of matches involving players and teams from different linguistic backgrounds.

Ken Aston was at the helm of the Chile vs Italy match at the 1962 FIFA World Cup. During the game, he sent off Italy’s Giorgio Ferrini but couldn’t communicate precisely due to different languages. The player refused to leave the field of play and the local police had to intervene. The incident remained etched in Aston’s memory for a long time.

Ken Aston later headed FIFA’s Referees' Committee during the 1966 World Cup and the linguistic barrier once again hit him hard.

In a match between Argentina and England, when Ken Aston and his team needed to calm down Argentina’s captain Antonio Rattín after he was sent off, it led Aston to think about how he could communicate better to all parties concerned.

After returning home, Aston was driving down Kensington High Street in England. When he stopped at a traffic light junction, Aston realised that cards based on the traffic lights red and yellow would negate the language problem and let players and team officials know clearly that they had been cautioned or sent off.

Aston approached FIFA with his idea which decided to try yellow and red cards at the World Cup in Mexico in 1970. The idea turned out to be a success and was gradually implemented all over the world.

Yellow cards at FIFA World Cup records

The Netherlands vs Argentina quarter-final match at the Qatar 2022 World Cup had the most yellow cards shown in a single game at the World Cup — 18.

The most yellow cards shown in a FIFA World Cup final is 14. This was during the Spain vs Netherlands 2010 World Cup final in South Africa. Nine yellow cards were issued to the Netherlands players.

Argentina's Javier Mascherano has collected the most yellow cards for a player in a World Cup with seven. Brazil’s Cafu is next with six.

Germany have collected the most yellow cards for a team in the World Cup with 122. Argentina is next with 112.