UEFA: Players to be suspended after 4 yellow cards in European competitions starting next season

UEFA has officially informed European clubs and associations that there will be two important rule changes in the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League in the new season.

First, the yellow-card accumulation suspension rules for the group stages of the three competitions will be adjusted. Under the current regulations, from the league phase onward, players and coaching staff members who accumulate 3 yellow cards without being sent off with a red card will be suspended for the next match. After that, they will be suspended again each time they reach the next odd-numbered yellow card, namely the 5th, 7th, 9th, and so on.

Starting this season, the yellow-card suspension threshold will be raised from three bookings to four. After that, the existing rule will still apply, with a suspension imposed for every two additional accumulated yellow cards: the 6th, 8th, 10th, and so on.

Considering that players may join clubs participating in different competitions during the February transfer window, the UEFA Conference League has also adopted this adjustment in parallel to avoid inconsistencies in the rules, even though the league phase of that competition consists of only six matches.

Article 63.2 of the new regulations for the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League will be amended to state: From the first match of the league phase, players and coaching staff members who accumulate four yellow cards without receiving a red card will be suspended for the next match. Thereafter, each subsequent even-numbered yellow card, such as the sixth and eighth, will also trigger a suspension.

Another change concerns the stadium clock. Previously, match organizers were prohibited from displaying the match time after the end of normal time in each half and during extra time. This was an old rule dating back to an era when fans could not watch matches in real time on mobile devices inside the stadium, and the use of video around the playing area was also banned.

With changes in the technical and regulatory environment in recent years, this provision has become outdated. To adapt to the new circumstances, the standard wording in the regulations for all UEFA competitions has been changed to: the stadium clock may be used to display either the match time or the time remaining.

The new provision states: stoppage time in each half must be displayed as additional minutes rather than as continuous match time, namely 45+x and 90+y; the same applies to extra time, shown as 105+x and 120+y.