We’ve all seen it – the referee moves his hand to his pocket after the first booking and you already know what’s coming. Or worse still, the curveball after a dodgy challenge that completely blindsides both the home and away sides. The Red Card, a small, bright red rectangle of dismissal, designed in such a way that almost anyone, anywhere in the stadium can identify it. When a red card is received, the player must leave the field of play immediately. But how does a player receive a red card, what does it actually represent, and what happens to a player after receiving one?
What is a Red Card Given for?
There are six main ways a player may receive a red card, all listed in The IFAB (International Football Association Board) rulebook ‘Laws of the Game 2022-23’ under ‘Law 12, Section 3’.
These are:
- denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity with a handball (this does not apply to a goalkeeper within their penalty area)
- denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity with a foul (unless the referee awards a penalty and it was an attempt to play the ball)
- serious foul play
- violent conduct
- using offensive, insulting or abusive language and/or action(s)
- receiving a second yellow card (caution) in the same match
What Does it Mean for the Player?
Typically, aside from receiving a second yellow these infringements are straight-red card offences. Receiving a red card means several things: one, the player is ejected from the field immediately, leaving their side a player down. Two, the player is typically banned from playing for a minimum of one game.
Three, in conjunction with two you will typically face a fine from your club for receiving a match ban. Points two and three are discretionary by league, but one is almost universal for association football. Using their years of training and experience in the sport, referees can determine if an action is deserving of a straight red and will hand out bookings accordingly, though the rise of VAR helps significantly with the harder to call moments. Some moments like ‘denying an obvious goal scoring opportunity with a handball’ are blatant and easy to call.
Steven Taylor in April 2005 during a league match with Aston Villa ‘saved’ Darius Vassell’s shot, tensing his back in pain after the ball had struck his chest with force. Except it hadn’t struck the chest, it wasn’t even close. If you watch the replay – which is from a non-zoomed shot I might add – you can see it strike his left bicep from a mile away. The ref was looking at him dead on, so I honestly don’t have a clue who he thought he was fooling, but hey, worth a shot right?
Certain infringements such as offensive, insulting or abusive language are hard to book in game, with incidents of racism or hate speech in game typically being rightfully investigated. Violent conduct however, such as Roy Keane’s tackle on Alfie Haaland in the 2001 Manchester Derby, is again typically met with an instant red card. Given their history, the referee could determine from the foul that the action was intentional and booked Keane with a red. He later received a three-match ban and £5000 fine.
In short, red cards are typically given to those who flagrantly violate the rules, be it for team gain or personal reasons. They come with hefty consequences, seemingly a worth deterrent for such behaviour – it’d certainly deter me.
