Football has undergone several additions and changes in its laws over the years – be it the changes in rules of back-passes, the semi-automatic offside system or even the conditions of booking players.
At the Copa America, the oldest active tournament in international football, another rule is set to be introduced which would have another card in the game – the pink card.
How many cards are already there in football?
In the last couple of years, there have been two colour cards, white and blue, which have been introduced in football, in addition to the existing red and yellow cards.
What do the cards signify?
Red – The red card forces a player to leave the field immediately and can be given as a direct booking or as a consequence of a second yellow card. After the card, the offender is suspended for atleast one game.
Yellow – The yellow card is given as a warning to a player, as the second one would mean a red. The offences for a yellow card range from a number of things, from a rash tackle and time-wasting to arguing with the referee too aggressively.
Blue – The Blue card is yet to be used in international football but has had its use in lower divisions of the game. The blue card, typically used for excessive dissent against the referee, is synonymous with sin-bins in rugby, forcing an offender to sit out of the game for 10 minutes.
White – Introduced by Portugal’s National Plan for Ethics in Sport (PNED) and later seconded by the Portuguese Football Federation, the card recognises a player or squad member for good sportsmanship.
Referee Catarina Campos first used it in a women’s Portuguese first-division game between Benfica and Sporting for the medical staff of both teams when they rushed to help a fan who had fallen ill during the match.
What is the pink card?
The pink card will be used to indicate a concussion substitute. The International Football Association Board (IFAB), which ascertains the laws of the game, approved permanent substitution for concussions in March and the card will be introduced for the same.
When was the pink card introduced?
The pink card is yet to be used in a game and will be first used at the Copa America, set to be played in the United States from June 20 to July 14.
The law – for the pink card – will come into force from July 1 but the card nomenclature can be used before that, as agreed by the IFAB.
How many cards will be there at Copa America?
Though the white and blue cards have been used in football at limited capacities, they are yet to get an official recognition from FIFA for international tournaments. Thus the three cards to be used at Copa America 2024 will be red, yellow and pink.
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