Question Number: 30885

League Specific 10/11/2016

RE: Adult

John Smith of london, United Kingdom asks...

In the Premier League, when a player receives 5 yellow cards he is suspended for 1 game. In this scenario, a player is on 4 yellows and then receives a straight red card in a match. Are his 4 yellows still accounted for and the next yellow will mean another suspension or is his next 'suspension level' at 10 yellows. If the red card is achieved via 2 yellows, does it also mean that he is now on 6 yellows and will receive a 1 or 2 game ban? 1 for the red and another 1 for hitting the 5 yellows?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi John
Sending offs do not count towards the running caution totals nor does two yellows followed by a red card add to the caution total. So in your example the player is suspended for the red card and his next yellow after he returns from suspension will result in a further suspension as he has reached 5 cautions.
There are also cut off dates. In the Premier League player earning their fifth caution of the season on or after 1st January would not earn any ban. However, if they received ten cautions by the second Sunday in April, a ban would apply.

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

Hi John,

This is a matter for local competition authorities and not the laws of the game. Typically the 2 cautions in the match where the player received a second caution won't count.