JUMP TO:
- How many games is a player suspended for a red card?
- Does a red card in Premier League affect FA Cup or Carabao Cup?
- Can a red card get overturned?
- What are yellow card suspension rules in Premier League?
Referees have immense power in football matches, as they look to maintain order and control game flow across the 90 minutes of every game.
One of the main punishments a referee can issue is yellow and red cards for various rules infractions.
If a player is given a red card, either straight for a single incident or via a second yellow, they are "sent off" meaning they can no longer participate in the match.
While the immediate result of a red card is the player's team being forced to play down a man the rest of the match, there are also more wide-ranging consequences.
Red cards come with an automatic suspension, but the nature of which varies depending on a number of factors, including the nature of the infraction and the player's history of disciplinary infractions over the course of the season.
While each league and competition handles punishment slightly differently, The Sporting News brings you an overview on how the Premier League adjudicates these instances, and how a team can appeal what they believe to be a wrongful dismissal.
MORE: Explaining the intricate and nuanced handball rule in soccer
How many games is a player suspended for a red card?
In the Premier League, like many other leagues around the world, the punishment varies depending on what a player was sent off for.
The two main avenues for a straight red card in football are either violent conduct or denying a goal scoring opportunity, while a player can also be sent off for receiving two yellow cards in the same match.
Violent conduct
If a player is sent of for violent conduct, such as a bad tackle, pushing, punching, kicking out or any of the many other possible situations, the base suspension is three games the player must sit out.
However, according to Premier League regulations, it is possible for the suspension to be extended further if the incident warrants further punishment. According to the disciplinary regulations of the league:
"In truly exceptional circumstances, an Affiliated Association may seek to increase the disciplinary consequences of a sending-off offence by making a claim that the standard punishment is clearly insufficient. An Affiliated Association may bring such a claim where it is satisfied that the standard punishment otherwise applicable to the sending-off offence would be clearly insufficient. Such claims may only be made by an Affiliated Association for the following sending-off offences: (a) serious foul play; (b) violent conduct; or (c) spitting at an opponent or any other person."
Denying a goal scoring opportunity
A red card for denying a clear goal scoring opportunity (DOGSO) comes with an automatic one game suspension.
Because a violation of this rule goes against the spirit of the game but still occurs in the context of the competition, it is not considered as serious as violent conduct, which endangers the health and safety of others.
MORE: Who has won the most Premier League titles?
Second bookable offence
Like denying a clear goal scoring opportunity, receiving a red card for a second yellow card comes with an automatic one game suspension.
Because yellow cards are given for less serious offences, and alone are not considered egregious violations, a simple punishment is valid for these instances.
Dissent
While exceedingly rare, a straight red card for dissent comes with an automatic two-match ban.
This does not occur often because most incidents of dissent are punishable by yellow card, and if anything would see a player trigger a second bookable offence, seeing them banned for just one match.
Incidents of dissent being worthy of a straight red card are quite rare and serious, and therefore hardly ever occur.
Spitting
The Premier League has designated a minimum suspension of six games for any player who spits at an opponent.
Multiple dismissals
If a player who has already been sent off once during the season picks up another red card for any reason, an additional game is added to the base suspension. This continues indefinitely, meaning if a player is red carded a third time in the same season, they are banned an additional two games on top of the base punishment, and so on.
The record for red cards by a single player in a single Premier League is three, done seven times (the last being in 2015/16), and therefore four red cards in a single season — which would carry an additional three-game ban on top of the base punishment — would be unprecedented.
MORE: The offside rule in soccer, explained
Does a red card in Premier League affect FA Cup or Carabao Cup?
Red cards given in Premier League play shall carry over to other domestic competitions such as the FA Cup and Carabao Cup.
Additionally, red cards earned in the FA Cup or Carabao Cup also carry over to Premier League play, so the synchronicity works in both directions.
However, a red card in domestic play does not carry over to international competition, such as UEFA or FIFA tournaments, and therefore the player would be available for selection in those matches.
For example, if a player picks up a red card for violent conduct in a Premier League match would trigger a three-match suspension. If the player's club has an upcoming slate of Premier League match, FA Cup match, Champions League match, Premier League match, the player would be banned for the three domestic matches while being available for selection in continental play.
MORE: Who has scored the most goals in Premier League history?
Can a red card get overturned?
Red card appeals can be submitted by a club (not the individual player) in the event they feel a decision was incorrect, harsh, or against the letter of the law.
A wrongful dismissal claim can only be submitted for straight red cards and not for second yellow cards. This is because yellow card decisions are often highly subjective, whereas straight red cards are often far easier to adjudicate based on video evidence.
The club must submit a claim in a timely manner, and provide evidence that they believe exonerates the individual dismissed. The onus is on the club to prove an error has been made.
According to Premier League disciplinary regulations, club will present their evidence to a hearing where the league's disciplinary commission is joined by a referee advisory panel member. At the hearing itself, neither side — the club nor the FA — are to be present, and the disciplinary commission hears only the submitted written and video evidence from one or both sides.
All cases must be handled before a suspension can be handed down. Therefore, if an appeal is lodged, a player may be available for selection until the hearing is completed.
While it is impossible to go back and play the match with the man disadvantage erased, the suspension can be overturned, leading to the player now being available for selection upon a successful appeal.
However, the FA also stipulates that clubs cannot abuse the appeal process. While this rarely occurs, the FA is allowed to increase a player's suspension in the event of a "frivolous" appeal with little to no basis or merit.
MORE: Top scorers all time for every Premier League club
What are yellow card suspension rules in Premier League?
A player can also be suspended due to an accumulation of yellow cards across multiple Premier League matches.
For accumulation purposes, the Premier League season is split into sections. Any player who collects five yellow cards through the first half of the season (the first 19 games) triggers a one-game suspension for yellow card accumulation.
After that point, players who have already triggered a first-half accumulation ban are then watched closely. If they should collect five more yellow cards, totaling 10 altogether, through the first 33 matches of the season, they are handed a further two-game suspension.
Across the whole season, any player who collects 15 yellow cards will trigger a two-game suspension, while 20 yellow cards triggers a three-game suspension. The record for yellow cards in a Premier League season is 14, so these rules rarely, if ever, come into play.
Unlike red cards, a suspension for yellow card accumulation only applies to Premier League matches and does not carry over to other domestic competitions like the FA Cup or Carabao Cup.
MORE: Who is the youngest Premier League goal scorer?