The two cards
Football's disciplinary system runs on two cards. A yellow card is a caution — a formal warning. A red card is a sending-off: the player leaves the field and their team plays the rest of the match a player short. Two yellow cards in one match equal a red. Both are shown by the referee under Law 12.
What earns a yellow card
A caution is shown for specific offences, including:
- Unsporting behaviour (including many tactical or reckless fouls)
- Dissent by word or action
- Persistent infringement of the Laws
- Delaying the restart of play
- Failing to respect the required distance at a free kick or corner
- Entering/leaving the field without permission
- Removing the shirt or covering the head in a goal celebration
What earns a straight red card
A player is sent off immediately for the most serious offences:
- Serious foul play (excessive force or endangering safety in a challenge)
- Violent conduct (striking or attempting to strike, on or off the ball)
- Spitting at anyone
- Denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity by deliberate handball (DOGSO-H)
- Denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity by a foul (DOGSO)
- Offensive, insulting or abusive language or gestures
DOGSO — the "last man" rule
DOGSO (Denying an Obvious Goal-Scoring Opportunity) is the offence casual fans call the "last man" foul. The referee weighs four factors: the distance to goal, the direction of play, the likelihood of keeping/controlling the ball, and the location and number of defenders. If a defender fouls to deny a clear chance, it's a red — *unless* it was a genuine attempt to play the ball inside the penalty area, in which case a penalty plus a yellow (not red) usually applies. A deliberate handball on the line is always DOGSO and a straight red.
Second yellow vs straight red
Both leave the team a player down, but they differ in consequence. A second yellow typically carries a shorter, standard suspension (often one match). A straight red — especially for violent conduct — usually carries a longer ban. Note that VAR can review a straight red, but it cannot review a second yellow.
How suspensions work
Cards carry over into bans. A red card triggers an automatic suspension whose length depends on the offence (commonly one match for DOGSO, more for violent conduct). Yellow cards accumulate across a competition: reaching a set threshold (e.g. five bookings in many league seasons) triggers a one-match ban, with the threshold often relaxing later in the season. Governing bodies can extend bans after review, and some can rescind clearly wrong red cards on appeal.
Common misconceptions
- "VAR can overturn a second yellow." It can't — only straight reds are reviewable.
- "Last-man fouls are always red." Not inside the box if it's a genuine attempt to play the ball — that's a penalty and a yellow.
- "Taking your shirt off is harmless." It's an automatic caution.
- "A red always means the same ban." Length depends on the offence and can be appealed or extended.
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
- How many yellow cards is a red?
- Two yellow cards in the same match equal a red card, and the player is sent off. The team then plays the rest of the match with one fewer player.
- Can VAR overturn a yellow card?
- No. VAR cannot review yellow cards, including a second yellow. It can only review straight red cards among disciplinary decisions.
- What is DOGSO?
- Denying an Obvious Goal-Scoring Opportunity. If a player denies a clear chance by a foul or deliberate handball, it is a red card — except a genuine attempt to play the ball inside the penalty area, which is usually a penalty and a yellow.
- How many bookings lead to a ban?
- Yellow cards accumulate across a competition. Reaching a set threshold — commonly five in many league seasons — triggers a one-match suspension, with thresholds often relaxed later in the season.
- Is a straight red a longer ban than a second yellow?
- Usually. A second yellow typically carries a standard one-match ban, while a straight red — especially for violent conduct — often carries a longer suspension that can be extended on review.