5.1 Yellow and Red Cards
If a player receives three yellow cards during the season, they will be suspended for one game.
If a player receives a direct red card, the referee must right a match rapport for the League Management, who will then determine if the player should be suspended just one game, multiple games, or the rest of the season.
5.2 With regards to indirect free kicks, direct free kicks and sanctions, rules are based on IFAB (via FIFA):
A direct free kick is awarded if a player commits any of the following offences against an opponent in a manner considered by the referee to be careless, reckless or using excessive force:
- charges
- jumps at
- kicks or attempts to kick
- pushes
- strikes or attempts to strike (including head-butt)
- tackles or challenges
- trips or attempts to trip
If an offence involves contact, it is penalised by a direct free kick.
A player is considered Careless when they show a lack of attention or consideration when making a challenge or acts without precaution. No disciplinary sanction is needed.
A player is considered Reckless when they act with disregard to the danger to, or consequences for, an opponent and must be cautioned.
A player is considered to have used excessive force when they exceed the necessary use of force and/or endangers the safety of an opponent and must be sent off the field.
A direct free kick is awarded if a player commits any of the following offences:
- a handball offence (except for the goalkeeper within their penalty area)
- holds an opponent
- impedes an opponent with contact
- bites or spits at someone
- throws an object at the ball, an opponent or a match official, or makes contact with the ball with a held object
An indirect free kick is awarded if a player:
- plays in a dangerous manner, as deemed by the ref(s)
- impedes the progress of an opponent without any contact being made
- is guilty of dissent, using offensive, insulting or abusive language and/or gestures or other verbal offences
- prevents the goalkeeper from releasing the ball from the hands or kicks or attempts to kick the ball when the goalkeeper is in the process of releasing it
- commits any other offence, not mentioned in the Laws, for which play is stopped to caution or send off a player
An indirect free kick is awarded if a goalkeeper, inside their penalty area, commits any of the following offences:
- controls the ball with the hand/arm for more than six seconds before releasing it
- touches the ball with the hand/arm after releasing it and before it has touched another player
- touches the ball with the hand/arm, unless the goalkeeper has clearly kicked or attempted to kick the ball to release it into play, after:
- it has been deliberately kicked to the goalkeeper by a team-mate
- receiving it directly from a throw-in taken by a team-mate
5.3 Cautionable offences (yellow card)
A player is cautioned if guilty of:
- delaying the restart of play
- dissent by word or action
- entering, re-entering or deliberately leaving the field of play without the referee’s permission
- failing to respect the required distance when play is restarted with a dropped ball, corner kick, free kick or throw-in
- persistent offences (no specific number or pattern of offences constitutes 'persistent')
- lack of sportsman-like behaviour
- entering the referee review area (RRA)
- excessively using the ‘review’ (TV screen) signal
A substitute or substituted player is cautioned if guilty of:
- delaying the restart of play
- dissent by word or action (arguing with the ref in a disrespectful manner)
- entering or re-entering the field of play without the referee’s permission
- lack of sportsman-like behaviour
Sending-off offences (red card)
A player, substitute or substituted player who commits any of the following offences is sent off:
- denying the opposing team a goal or an obvious goal-scoring opportunity by a handball offence (except a goalkeeper within their penalty area)
- denying a goal or an obvious goal-scoring opportunity to an opponent whose overall movement is towards the offender’s goal by an offence punishable by a free kick (unless as outlined below)
- serious foul play
- biting or spitting at someone
- violent conduct
- using offensive, insulting or abusive language and/or gestures
- receiving a second caution in the same match
If an offence involves contact, it is penalised by a direct free kick.
- A player is considered Careless when they show a lack of attention or consideration when making a challenge or acts without precaution. No disciplinary sanction is needed.
- A player is considered Reckless when they act with disregard to the danger to, or consequences for, an opponent and must be cautioned (yellow card).
- A player is considered to have used excessive force when they exceed the necessary use of force and/or endangers the safety of an opponent and must be sent off the field.
Suspensions
Any player receiving a second yellow card during a match will automatically receive a Red Card and will be removed from the game. Upon receipt of a red card, a player will automatically be suspended, as a minimum, for the next scheduled game. Additional suspension(s) will be made at the discretion of the League Management team. The player must leave the match immediately.
Players who incur suspensions will forfeit the right to play in all subsequent league games (all divisions), until their suspension is completely served in the division in which it was assessed, with no refunds issued.
