What do you get a yellow card for in football?
B · Beginner · Yellow cards, red cards and misconduct · 8 of 17A yellow card is a caution. It is shown for unsporting behaviour (such as a reckless foul, diving or stopping a promising attack), dissent, delaying a restart, not keeping the required distance, persistent offences and entering or leaving the field without permission. Two yellow cards in a match mean a red card.
How it works
A player is cautioned for:
- unsporting behaviour;
- dissent by word or action;
- delaying the restart of play;
- not keeping the required distance at a corner kick, free kick, throw-in or dropped ball;
- persistent offences (no set number or pattern);
- entering, re-entering or deliberately leaving the field without permission;
- entering the referee review area, or making the TV-screen review signal too often.
Unsporting behaviour includes:
- a reckless foul;
- simulation: pretending to be fouled or hurt to deceive the referee;
- stopping a promising attack with a foul or handball (with some exceptions when a penalty is given);
- handling the ball while trying to score;
- verbally distracting an opponent during play or at a restart;
- a deliberate trick to pass the ball to the goalkeeper with the head, chest or knee to get round the back-pass rule;
- in goal celebrations: removing the shirt or covering the head with it, climbing a fence, covering the face with a mask or provoking opponents or fans, even if the goal is then disallowed.
A second yellow card in the same match is a red card. Two separate cautionable offences, even close together, earn two cautions.
Tricky cases
Is diving a yellow card?
Yes. Trying to deceive the referee by pretending to have been fouled or hurt is simulation, a caution for unsporting behaviour.
Is taking your shirt off to celebrate a yellow card?
Yes, even if the goal is then disallowed.
Do yellow cards carry over to the next match?
The card itself does not. Competitions count yellow cards across matches for suspensions under their own rules.
Why the rule exists
It is a warning that changes behaviour without ending the player's match, and a record that competitions use for suspensions.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| All football under the Laws | As above | L12.4 |
| Youth, veterans, disability and grassroots football | Competitions may use temporary dismissals (sin bins) for some or all cautions | L Notes (Temporary dismissals) |
| Suspensions for accumulated cards | Set by each competition | Not covered |
From the rule book
IFAB Laws of the Game 2026/27, Law 12.4 and the glossary ("Caution", "Simulation"), in force from 1 July 2026. Checked 13 October 2026. Official document: IFAB Laws of the Game (PDF).