A yellow card here and there might not seem like a serious breach of discipline, but players can be punished for an accumulation of cautions
Discipline is a major aspect of football and players are duly punished by referees for any fouls or indiscretions which may occur on the pitch.
A yellow card is issued as a caution, giving a player a second chance to remain on the pitch for the rest of the game, but being shown a red card results in immediate ejection from the field of play.
If a player is cautioned twice in a game with two yellow cards they are then shown an automatic red card.
The idea, naturally, is to avoid picking up cautions and red cards, but over the course of a season they can accumulate and that also results on punishment.
The rules have changed slightly in the Premier League for 2018-19, so, in case you're still unsure, we've broken it down.
Premier League yellow & red card rules for 2018-19
From 2018-19 in English football, any yellow card picked up by a player in a game will be restricted to the particular competition they were playing in.
So, if Marouane Fellaini is cautioned in a Premier League match for Manchester United, it does not hang over his head in the FA Cup.
Likewise, if Eden Hazard receives a booking for Chelsea in the Carabao Cup, it will not count towards his tally when he is playing in the Premier League.
However, while there is no crossover when it comes to yellow cards, suspensions arising from the presentation of a red card will apply to all competitions.
The punishment for the accumulation of yellow cards in the Premier League varies according to the number of cards and games.
A player who receives five yellow cards before the 19th match-week will be issued with a one-match ban. If a player has accumulated 10 yellow cards by match-week 32 they will be handed a two-match ban.
A total of 15 yellow cards in the duration of the season will result in a three-match ban.
Each ban will be served in the Premier League only.
How many games will a player miss after a red card?
The length of a suspension for a player shown a red card varies according to the severity of the foul.
For example, a sending off due to a second yellow card will result in a one-match ban, as will a red card received for a professional foul.
Dissent leading to a red card will generally earn a two-match ban, while violent conduct can be punished with a suspension for three games.
Of course, each case is examined based on its own merits and bans may be reduced or extended
Technical area disciplinary procedure
Managers and coaching staff are also subject to disciplinary rules if they fall foul of the laws of the game, but a warning system is in place, meaning there are no yellow or red cards.
Individuals who breach discipline in the technical area of the pitch may be given an official 'stage-one warning' by the referee, which will be logged.
If a manager or coach accumulates multiple warnings, they will then be subject to disciplinary action.
After four, eight, 12 and 16 warnings (per individual), disciplinary procedures will be opened.
SINGAM23
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in 1962 Ken Aston, a British school teacher invented Yellow & Red cards - and idea created based from traffic signal lights.