Cautionable Offenses

A player is cautioned and shown the yellow card if he commits any of the following seven offenses:

1. is guilty of unsporting behavior (UB)

1. Commits a penal foul in a reckless manner
2. Commits a penal foul while tackling for the ball from behind
3. Commits a tactical foul designed to interfere with or impede an opposing team’s attacking play
4. Commits an act deemed by the referee as bringing the game into disrepute (e.g., aggressive attitude, inflammatory behavior, or taunting)
5. Pushes or holds (including holding the opponent's uniform) to interfere with that opponent’s attacking play
6. Handles the ball deliberately to interfere with an opponent’s attacking play
7. Handles the ball deliberately to score a goal
8. Fakes an injury or exaggerates the seriousness of an injury
9. Fakes a foul (dives) or exaggerates the severity of the foul
10. Interferes with or prevents the goalkeeper from releasing the ball from his hands into play
11. Unfairly distracts or impedes an opponent performing a throw-in; this is a mandatory caution
12. Verbally distracts an opponent during play or at a restart
13. If identified as the kicker, engages in unfair deception while taking a penalty kick
14. Changes jerseys with the goalkeeper during play or without the referee’s permission; this is a mandatory caution for both players
15. Engages in trickery to circumvent the goalkeeper’s limitation on handling a ball played from a teammate’s foot (the defender who initiates the "trickery" is cautioned and the decision does not require that the goalkeeper actually handles the ball); this is a mandatory caution whether it occurs during dynamic play or at a restart

2. shows dissent by word or action (DT)

1. Verbally or through action disputes or shows contempt for an official's decision
2. If playing as a goalkeeper, leaves the penalty area (not beckoned by the referee) to engage an official in debate regarding a decision

3. persistently infringes the Laws of the Game (PI)

1. Repeatedly commits fouls or participates in a pattern of fouls directed at an opponent
2. Violates Law 14 again, having previously been warned
3. Fails to start or restart play properly or promptly, having previously been warned
4. If playing as goalkeeper, wastes time, having previously been warned or penalized for this behavior

4. delays the restart of play (DR)

1. Kicks or throws the ball away or holds the ball to prevent a free kick restart by an opponent
2. Kicks or throws the ball away or holds the ball to prevent a throw-in or corner kick by an opponent
3. Fails to restart play after being so instructed by the referee
4. Excessively celebrates a goal
5. Fails to return to the field upon conclusion of the mid-game break, fails to perform a kick-off when signaled by the referee, or fails to be in a correct position for a kick-off

5. fails to respect the required distance when play is restarted with a corner kick or free kick (FRD)

1. Does not retire at least ten yards away from an opponent's free kick
2. Does not retire at least ten yards away from an opponent’s corner kick

6. enters or re-enters the field of play without the referee's permission (E)

1. Illegally returning to the field having previously been substituted; this is a mandatory caution
2. After a player at fault is instructed to leave the field to correct his equipment; this is a mandatory caution
3. After a player leaves the field for an injury
4. After a player leaves the field for bleeding or blood on the uniform
5. Illegally entering the field as a substitute without having received a signal to do so from the referee; this is a mandatory caution

7. deliberately leaves the field of play without the referee's permission (L)

1. Leaves the field to place an opponent in an offside position
2. Leaves the field other than through the normal course of play

SENDING-OFF OFFENSES

A player is sent off and shown the red card if he commits any of the following seven offenses:

1. is guilty of serious foul play (SFP)

2. is guilty of violent conduct (VC)

3. spits at an opponent or any other person (S)

4. denies the opposing team a goal or an obvious goal-scoring opportunity by deliberately handling the ball (this does not apply to the goalkeeper within his own penalty area) (DGH)

5. denies an obvious goal-scoring opportunity to an opponent moving towards the player's goal by an offense punishable by a free kick or a penalty kick (DGF)

6. uses offensive, insulting or abusive language (AL)

7. receives a second caution in the same match (2CT)