What do yellow and red cards mean in para athletics?
A · Advanced · Field events and discipline · 3 of 3Referees show a yellow card as a warning and a red card to exclude an athlete for unsporting conduct or breaking rules on assistance, clothing or equipment. A second yellow means red. Cards given to a guide-runner or assistant count against their athlete, and in relays two cards in a round disqualify the team. Exclusion bars later events.
How it works
- Yellow: a warning.
- Red: exclusion; sometimes given without a yellow first.
- Second yellow: followed at once by red.
- Guides and assistants: their cards count against the athlete.
- Relays: two cards in a round disqualify the team.
- Exclusion: no further events at that meeting.
- Technical faults: disqualify from that event only.
- Assistance: first a warning, then disqualification.
The glossary has the yellow and red cards, the guide-runner, the athlete's assistant, the prohibited assistance and technology, the non-compliant equipment and the slingshotting.
Tricky cases
An athlete takes off their top to celebrate. Penalty?
A warning first, then disqualification for a second offence.
Are results from earlier rounds lost after a red card?
No. Earlier rounds and events stand.
Can an athlete appeal a red card?
Yes, to the Jury of Appeal.
Is pacing by a non-competitor a red card offence?
It can bring disqualification without a warning.
Why the rule exists
Cards let referees act quickly and visibly. Counting a guide's cards against the athlete makes the pair one competitor.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Exclusion under Rule 8.1 | Barred from later events | R 8.3 |
| Technical infringement | That event only | R 8.2 |
| Relays | Team cards combined | R 8.1 comment |
From the rule book
World Para Athletics, Rules and Regulations, September 2026, Rules 6.1.2, 7.2, 7.3 and 8. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: the World Para Athletics Rules and Regulations, September 2026.