Why do they give cards in football? Yellow and red cards in football: what do they mean and why are they given? Yellow and red cards

Distance is one of the basic rules of football. This type of punishment refers to the 12th football law in the set of official rules of the game. A sending off, like all other football penalties, can only be ordered by a referee. The referee, in turn, must always be guided by the official interpretations of game episodes. However, in the application of this rule, like most others in football, there are a lot of nuances.

A removal is always accompanied by a red card, which the referee shows to the offending participant in the match. Although there was a time when referees ejected violators from the field verbally. The ejected player must immediately leave the field. As a rule, those punished go to the room under the stands. However, another option is also possible: the removed player or coach (and removal of the mentor is also possible - as a rule, according to the clause “offensive, offensive or obscene language and/or gestures”) takes a place on the podium.

Comments during a match happen to all or almost all coaches. In general, anyone who has ever entered the field knows perfectly well what words participants can use to express emotions to each other and to the judges football match. Most often, referees tolerate it up to a certain point, because football is a very emotional game, but when they see that a person does not calm down or is simply going too far, they reach into their pocket for a red card.

Removal carries additional penalties. The offender not only leaves current match, but also automatically misses at least the next game of the championship, another tournament or the season as a whole. There are, however, exceptions. In Argentina there is a rule: if one of the team players is called up to the national team (any age category), then the expelled player can play in the next calendar match. And he will serve his disqualification later. The period of disqualification may be changed by the decision of the governing body of the tournament. In Russia, such issues are considered by the Control and Disciplinary Committee. He has the power to increase the period of disqualification to five matches or cancel the red card if it turns out that the referee made a mistake. It all depends on the degree of guilt and the seriousness of the violation. After all, it’s strange to equally punish a defender who reflexively stopped a ball flying into the goal with his hand, and a player who deliberately broke an opponent’s leg.

It is believed that removal is a very severe punishment that can radically change, “break” the course of the match. However, in reality, unlike hockey, a football majority does not always provide a noticeable advantage. Moreover, there are many examples when the teams remaining in the minority began to play better and achieved success.

Players often ask their coaches for unscheduled leave. But not all mentors cooperate. The coach did not let the famous German forward Hansi Müller go to the wedding. The enterprising Muller found a very clever solution. In one of the matches of the German championship, he deliberately ran into a red card. And then he entered into an unpleasant conversation with the referee in order to receive an even longer disqualification. After which Hansi packed his things, called his fiancee and began to prepare for the wedding.

One of the most famous deletions happened in the final of the 06 World Cup. The main time of the match between the national teams of France and Italy ended in a draw -1:1. Extra time passed in an equal and close fight. Everyone was mentally preparing for the penalty shootout. And then one of the most mysterious episodes in the history of football occurred. Italian defender Marco Materazzi said something to the leader of the French national team, Zinedine Zidane. The Frenchman turned around and butted the offender with his head. The referee sent Zidane off, the French lost the World Cup in a penalty shootout, and no one knows for sure what Materazzi said, because the Italian, in collaboration with witty journalists, published the book “250 variations of what I said to Zidane.”

The “achievement” of Russian referee Valentin Ivanov, who showed 16 yellow and four red cards in the 2006 World Cup match between Holland and Portugal, is far from an all-time record. In the 70s of the 20th century, games of the Mexican championship were officiated by a rather violent referee named Gonzalez. In one of the matches, Gonzalez, having removed five offenders from two teams after a heated dispute, did not calm down and began handing out cards to all the remaining players. When even the reserve players “ran out”, Gonzalez began to drive coaches and administrative employees of both clubs from the field.

FIFA is preparing a revolutionary reform - the introduction of temporary removal of a player. According to the developers, in certain cases it will be possible to punish the violator with a ten-minute penalty-removal. This penalty is very similar to a hockey penalty - two minutes in the penalty box. The reformers' idea is that a player who tries to gain an advantage through dishonest means will be sent off the field for 10 minutes. “Spectators want to watch football, and not the performance of actors, as in the theater,” the developers of the reform explain their position. At the same time, removal in the only existing form - until the end of the game - sometimes turns out to be too harsh a measure and “breaks” the game. Ten-minute penalties, which, by the way, exist in bandy, will enable referees to conduct the match more flexibly.

During a football match, the chief referee plays a huge role. He makes the final decisions on all fouls, goals scored, substitutions, etc. One of the main tools for a referee to influence a team's game are cards. They come in yellow and red.

What can you get a yellow card for?

Because of its color, this card is also called “mustard plaster”. It is presented to football players for various violations of the rules, for example, for a rough tackle from behind, for throwing the ball back after the whistle, for simulation, for taking too long, for disrupting a dangerous counter-attack, and so on. In this case, the referee is guided by the fact that the player has violated a certain football rule and should be punished, but not very strictly. For a more serious violation, the referee has the right to show a red card.

What can you get a red card for?

The referee can show cards not only to the players on the field, but also to the substitute players, as well as the entire coaching staff and other persons on the bench.

A red card is presented if the player has already been shown a warning in the form of a yellow card. It is the second yellow card that immediately turns into a red card.

You can also receive a red card immediately for a very serious violation against a player, which is dangerous to his health or resulted in injury. In addition, it is shown to the football player for a last resort foul committed outside the penalty area when the player goes one on one with the goalkeeper. Until recently, a red card was also shown for a foul inside the penalty area, but now this only results in a warning.

But even without rough tackles or dangerous violations, the referee may well issue a red card to the player. This happens if a player insults or hits the referee, as well as if a fight breaks out between players or one particular player acts too aggressively. This rule applies to the entire coaching staff together with substitute players.

After receiving a red card, a player is automatically suspended for the team's next games in that tournament. He may miss from one to 4-5 matches depending on the severity of the foul and other criteria.

When did cards first appear in football?

For the first time, football officials began to think about using additional measures during a football match at the 1966 World Cup in England. Then the referee could not explain to the Argentine player that he was sending him off the field for a flagrant foul. After this, FIFA listened to supporters of the appearance of cards in football and at the 1970 World Cup in Mexico they began to be used during games. By the way, the first football player to receive a warning was the Soviet player Kakha Asatiani.

Nowadays it is impossible to imagine football without yellow and red cards. On average, 5-6 yellow and 0.4 red cards are shown per game. All referees have learned to use them correctly, and players try to get as few of them as possible.

Yellow and red cards are an integral part of every football match. Small rectangular pieces of paper are in the pocket of the chief referee, who uses them to warn players for various types of violations. After the referee has shown the mustard plaster to the football player, he makes a note about this, drawing the number of the offending player on the card itself. Nowadays, it very rarely happens that the referee does not show a single card during the entire match. It is possible to violate and it is not always punishable, but when the referee clearly sees a foul, he will certainly react and punish the culprit accordingly.

The history of cards in football

At the 1962 World Cup, Englishman Ken Aston refereed the opening match of the tournament between the national teams of Chile and Switzerland. In that match, the referee did a good job and FIFA appointed him to referee the game between Chile and Italy - two rivals between whom a fierce fight could have broken out in the football ring. The game predictably turned out to be emotional and rough, and in one episode Aston had to send off Squadar Azzurra midfielder Giorgio Ferrini from the field, but due to the language barrier, the Italian did not understand the complaints against him and refused to leave, after which he was taken off the field by the police.

At the 1966 World Cup, Ken Aston was appointed responsible for the work of the referees. This World Cup was also not without controversy. In the England-Argentina match, German referee Rudolf Kreitlein sent the captain of the Latin American team Rattin from the court for a gross violation, but he, not even knowing the referee’s language, tried to find out the reason for his removal and the next day the newspapers wrote in full about problems between the referees and players of different nationalities that do not understand each other. After this, Aston seriously thought about this problem and very soon found an ingenious solution.

While driving on a road in London, Aston had an epiphany, which he later explained as follows:

“As I was driving along High Street Kensington, the traffic lights were turning red. I thought: yellow - calm down, red - stop, you’re expelled.”

With this idea, the Briton, who previously worked as a teacher and knew the importance of communicating with those you are going to control, turned to FIFA. Aston proposed introducing yellow and red cards in football, and the International Organization approved the idea and already at the 1970 World Cup in Mexico, referees used cards to warn football players. Also at this World Cup, according to the idea of ​​Ken Aston, a reserve referee and a sign with the numbers of the players who were going to replace were introduced.

What does a yellow card mean in football?

Referees reward players with a yellow card for the following violations:

• Unsportsmanlike behavior (for example, when a football player celebrates a goal by taking off his shirt)
• For arguing with the referee (that’s why a referee is needed on the field, to decide who is right and who is wrong. Captains can ask the referee for the reason for the card, but for arguments or excessively rude comments, the referee has the right to reward the player with mustard plaster)
• For delaying time (often, players of the winning team like to stall for time, for example, by taking a long throw-in or throw-in)
• For a combination of fouls (not all violations result in a yellow card, the referee overlooks minor crimes, but keeps count of them. If the same players violates the rules quite often, then the referee has the right to show him a yellow mustard plaster.
• For entering or leaving the game without the permission of the referee (it happens that during a stoppage of the game, for example, when doctors are providing assistance to an injured person, one of the players goes beyond the field line (to drink some water). In no case should this be done, he must remain on playground, and if he’s very thirsty, they can give him a bottle of water from the bench. It’s the same when a player enters without the permission of the referees after receiving medical assistance - this is a yellow card.
• For failure to maintain the distance to the ball (during a free kick or free kick, the players of the defending team must be at a distance of 9 meters from the ball. If the referee notices that this rule is being ignored and the football players who set up the wall are trying to get closer to the ball, then he has the right to punish with a card. True in such cases, referees often use verbal warnings.
• For deliberate handball (does not apply unless it is a last resort foul)
• For disrupting a dangerous attack
• For a kick after the whistle (for example, when an offside position was recorded, and the player ignored the whistle and deliberately kicked the ball). Often in such cases, football players pretend that due to the noise of the stands they simply did not hear the sound of the whistle.

What is a red card given for in football?

A red card is shown for the worst offense in football and means two things. First, the offender committed a serious foul or committed a serious gross misconduct. Secondly, the player who was shown a red mustard plaster will have to immediately leave the field. There are 5 main reasons for showing a player a red card:

1. Flagrant foul. In this case, the referee at his discretion, even with the help of VAR, can determine how serious the violation was. This includes a tackle from behind, a tackle with two legs, a high leg raised during a tackle, a kick to the body, etc.
2. Violent actions. Any punches, kicks, attacks on the enemy in simple language fighting is punishable by a red card.
3. Spitting and swearing. For such actions they are almost always kicked off the field. This also includes racial slurs.
4. Foul of last resort. When an attacking player has an almost 100% chance of scoring a goal, and the opponent breaks the rules on him, then such an episode is classified as a foul of last resort and is punishable by a red card. This includes not only the defender's deliberate desire to knock down an attacking player, but also the deliberate use of his hands to hit the ball flying into the goal.
5. The second one is yellow. In football getting second yellow card means that the player must be removed from the field. Thus, if a football player commits two violations resulting in yellow mustard plasters, then after showing the second yellow card, the referee shows the offender a red one.

Interesting fact! The record for the number of red cards at the FIFA World Cup belongs to the 1/8 final match (2006 World Cup) Portugal - the Netherlands, which was officiated by Russian Valentin Ivanov and showed 16 yellow and 4 red cards.

Receiving two yellow cards or a straight red card means missing the next game for the player. In World Cup matches and other famous tournaments on the planet, if a player receives a yellow card in one match and also a yellow card in the next, then he automatically receives a disqualification for the subsequent match.

In matches of the English Premier League, Spanish La Liga and other championships, a straight red card can mean a player is disqualified for not one, but several matches. It all depends on the type of violation and the decision of the disciplinary committee or the relevant body.

Also in football, the referee has the right to send off not only players running on the field, but also substitutes and even coaches.

There is also a green card in football

In 2016, the referee showed the first green card in football history. This happened in the Italian Serie B championship. A card of this color did not mean a punishment, but rather was shown when a player did something good, for example, in a controversial situation he admitted that the ball went out of bounds from him. The green card is like a symbol of fair play.

A second variant of the green card designation was also recorded. At the CONFIFA tournament in London, a Green Card was also used for non-FIFA teams. It was used as a disciplinary measure along with yellow and red cards and meant that the player had to leave the field immediately, but could be replaced if the team did not use all the substitutions. Players who received a green card were not suspended from their team's next match.

The most famous red card in football history

In the final of the 2006 World Cup, the national teams of Italy and France met. Already in the 7th minute of the match, Marco Materazzi fouled in his own penalty area and the referee awarded a penalty. The captain of the tricolor, Zinedine Zidane, cold-bloodedly executed the 11-meter kick, hitting it with a panenka. 1:0 in favor of France, but already in the 19th minute of the game Marco Materazzi finished off Andrea Pirlo's cross and equalized the score.

10 minutes before the end of extra time and the penalty shootout approaching, Zidane and Materazzi were seen in a verbal altercation, after which the France number 10 headbutted the Italian center-back in the chest. The main referee did not notice this incident, but the fourth referee informed him about what had happened and he showed a straight red card to Zidane. It was a provocation and Materazzi later admitted it himself. In that dialogue, the Italian insulted his sister Ziza, who did not tolerate this and decided to punish Materazzi right on the field with a powerful head blow.

Modern football cannot be imagined without yellow and red cards, as it is a very traumatic and tough sport. Today there is not a single professional who has not earned at least one disqualification during his career. The reasons for removal can be not only the rudeness of the football player, but also a number of additional circumstances stipulated in the rules of UEFA and FIFA.

The history of the red card

For the first time, tangible disciplinary indicators were invented and proposed by British arbitrator Ken Aston. For a long time his initiative remained unheeded, but after the 1966 World Championship the situation changed radically. During the World Cup quarterfinals between England and Argentina, the captain of the Latin American team, Antonio Rattin, made a very rude tackle against his opponent.

The match was judged by German specialist Rudolf Kraitlian, who could only speak his native language. The game was stopped for several minutes because the referee could not explain to the Argentine that he had to leave the field. As a result, Ken Aston had to intervene in the conflict. This funny episode spread to every corner of the Earth in a matter of days, so the English Football Federation, like international associations, had no choice but to introduce a universal means of disciplinary punishment.

The card itself became the prototype of a traffic light, where yellow means a warning and red means the end of movement. Soon, specific rules for the interpretation of rough episodes appeared in the FIFA competition regulations, for which players were threatened with removal. Officially, cards began to be used in 1970. The first who was “lucky” to receive a warning was the Soviet midfielder Kakha Asatiani.

Today, in a game like football, red cards are an integral part of the gameplay. According to statistics, removal occurs in every fifth official match.

Red for two yellows

According to FIFA rules, only the chief referee can impose disciplinary sanctions on football players during a match. Cards of any color are allowed to be given to players playing in the first team, as well as substitutes and substitutes. Yellow means the first warning for a gross violation of the rules and is given for the following offenses:

- (including rudeness);
- delaying the match time;
- entering the field without proper permission from the referee;
- disputes with the judiciary;
- systematic violations of the rules;
- unauthorized departure to the area under the stands or to the substitutes' bench without the consent of the referee;
- failure to maintain the required distance from the ball during corners, free kicks or free kicks, as well as when throwing out.

Two yellows automatically turn into a sending off (red card). In football, the rules do not limit the period of suspension. The referee removes a player for one match only. The final decision on the incident is made by the executive committee of the football federation, under whose jurisdiction the match was held.

Straight red

Violations punishable by removal apply to players, coaches and all personnel who are registered for the team for the current match and are within playing field(including the bench). In rare cases, arbitrators are allowed to impose appropriate sanctions on club owners.

A direct red card in football can be given for excessive aggression and insults towards an opponent or referee, serious violation of the rules, for obscene language and appropriate gesticulation. A separate point of disciplinary punishment is spitting. It doesn’t matter who it was committed against, in any case it is punishable by a red card and a long disqualification.

A football player can also be sent off for deliberately depriving an opponent of the opportunity to score a goal. If the violation was committed within one's own penalty area, it is additionally punishable by a penalty kick. The rule applies to field players and the goalkeeper.

A red card means the player is removed from the field and the entire area adjacent to it (technical area). Being disqualified, the player must go to the stands before the end of the match.

Consequences of red cards

The referee has the right to remove a player for pushing an opponent from the moment the teams appear on the field during warm-up until the end of the match. For such a foul (violation) a red card and disqualification for up to 3 matches are given. Similar sanctions are imposed on a player who attempts to cause physical harm to officials.

Also, a red card in football is given for the go-ahead or hitting an opponent with any part of the body. Disqualification for such a violation can vary up to 4 games. A football player is sent off for 5 matches for fighting. However, in this case, the referee and official observers must pay attention to the participation of specific players in the riots. If a football player defends himself or calms down his colleagues, he will go unpunished. If a player inflicts blows or other physical injuries on opponents, he can be disqualified for up to 10 matches. The instigator is removed for a period of 5 games.

Simulation

To gain such an advantage as a numerical majority, football players often resort to deception. IN computer games(for example, FIFA 14) red cards are not given for simulation; in reality the situation is much more complicated.

Many football players, entering someone else's penalty area, prefer not to shoot at goal, but to deliberately fall at the slightest contact with an opponent. Referees from the outside do not always see the episode in detail, so in half the cases they mistakenly award a penalty, sending the innocent person to the locker room early.

Judges do not give direct red cards for such fraud, but malingering football players may well receive a second yellow card.

The fastest deletions

In 1990, Bologna football player Italian Giuseppe Lorenzo managed to earn a red card for hitting an opponent in the 10th second.

The fastest dismissal at the World Championships occurred in 1986. Uruguayan midfielder Jose Batista brought down Scottish striker Strachan in the 1st minute of the match in a rough tackle.

The fastest red card in football after being substituted was given to Jamaican winger Walter Boyd in 2001. The islander didn't even have time to enter the field when he hit his opponent in the face.

The most ridiculous deletions

What stands out for all football fans is the red card received by the leader of the French national team at the 2006 World Cup. In the final, Zinadine Zidane could not restrain himself and hit his head in the chest Italian defender Marco Materazzi. Throughout the match, the Frenchman was subjected to verbal provocations from his opponent, but as soon as the insults touched his family, Zidane gave vent to his emotions. The match referee immediately showed the midfielder a red card, leaving the team without a captain. France lost that final to the Italians on penalties, in which Zidane was so missing.

Another red card also went down in history; there are still no analogues to it in football. In 1998 during a game amateur league In England between the Southampton Arms and Tarrant, forward Richard Curd did not give way to the main referee of the match, Melvin Sylvester, either pushing him in the back, or calling him names, or defiantly laughing in his face. Towards the end of the match, the referee could not restrain himself and dealt the provocateur several blows with his fists, knocking the offender to the ground. After this, Sylvester took out a red card and showed it to himself, leaving the field.

Deletion statistics

The roughest of the European TOP championships of the 2014/15 season is currently the Italian Serie A. In the first 3 months, 27 red cards were shown. Daniel Bonera (Milan) and Simone Padoin (Juventus) received the most (two each).

The most positive statistics of red cards in football for the current season in the Russian Premier League. There were only 8 deletions in 14 rounds. In the 2013/14 season, the most rude football player in the Russian championship was Lokomotiv defensive midfielder Lassana Diarra (3 red cards).