In any soccer match, a player who receives two yellow cards in one game is subsequently shown a red card, forcing them to leave the field as their team plays with one fewer player for the remainder of the match.
While those rules still apply at the World Cup, the tournament also has rules for the accumulation of yellow cards throughout the tournament.
Below are the yellow card rules for the upcoming Women’s World Cup, which begins on July 20 in Australia and New Zealand.
How can you earn a yellow card suspension in the World Cup?
If players receives two yellow cards during two different matches, they will automatically be suspended from their team’s subsequent match.
For example, if a player were to get one yellow card in the opening match of the group stage and another yellow card in the second match, they would be suspended for the third and final group stage match. If a player were to receive one yellow card in the opening group stage match and one yellow card in the final group stage match, that player would be suspended for the subsequent Round of 16 elimination match.
Single yellow cards are canceled after the quarterfinals, meaning no player can be suspended for the World Cup Final due to yellow card accumulation. For example, if a player received their first yellow card of the tournament in the quarterfinals, they would enter the semifinals with a “clean slate.” Even if that same player received another yellow card in the semifinals, they would not be suspended for the Final.
2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup schedule, start time, dates, how to watch live
- When: July 20 to August 20
- Location: Australia and New Zealand
- TV channels en Español: Telemundo, Universo, Peacock
- Streaming en Español: Peacock (all 64 matches)
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