Question Number: 32551

Law 5 - The Referee 6/27/2018

RE: recreational Adult

Larry Lang of Sacramento, CA USA asks...

During formal matches, in any league, is it ever customary for a player take physical possession of a yellow card from the referee, retaining the card on his or her person for the duration of their on-pitch performance?

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi Larry,
No, it most certainly is not normal. Taking the referee's card is usually considered a serious offence, amounting to an affront or even an assault on the referee's authority. Unless it is done in a somehow light-hearted or accidental manner, it will often lead to the player receiving a different colour card - red.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Larry
No, that should not happen. To grab a card off a referee is a serious offence which normally results in a sending off red card. In one or two occasions where a player found a yellow card that the referee dropped resulted in players being cautioned when it was done in an unsporting way! In other cases it was light hearted and nothing come of it
Have a look at some of the situations here.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jgVfYtUpteU
The advice is that a player should return the *found* card to the referee at the earliest opportunity. To grab a card from the referee is a no no and the player can expect to be sent off.