Fouls, yellow and red cards: what gets you booked and what gets you sent off
Direct vs indirect free kicks, the offences that earn a yellow, the ways to see red — including DOGSO and the second yellow.
Fouls and free kicks
Most fouls — kicking, tripping, pushing, holding, a careless challenge — give the other team a direct free kick (from which you can score straight away), or a penalty if it happens in the box. A smaller set, like dangerous play or obstruction, gives an indirect free kick, which must touch another player before a goal counts.
What earns a yellow card
A yellow is a caution. Common causes: unsporting behaviour (including a cynical tactical foul), dissent, persistent infringement, delaying the restart, failing to respect the required distance at a free kick, and entering or leaving the field without permission. Two yellows in a match add up to a red.
What earns a red card
A straight red is for the serious stuff: serious foul play, violent conduct, spitting, offensive or abusive language, denying the opponents a goal by deliberate handball, and denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity (DOGSO) by a foul. A sent-off player leaves and cannot be replaced — the team plays on with ten.
DOGSO and the “double punishment” tweak
DOGSO — denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity — is a red because it robs a near-certain goal. One nuance: if a defender makes a genuine attempt to play the ball inside the box and fouls, denying a chance, it is now often a yellow plus a penalty rather than a red, to avoid punishing the team twice. A deliberate handball or a non-attempt at the ball still sees red.