# Soccer: on getting a second card (either color) after a yellow **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** football-soccer-fifa\ **Created:** [July 5, 2025, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soccer-on-getting-a-second-card-either-color-after-a-yellow/1020536 "2025-07-05T14:24:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2025, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soccer-on-getting-a-second-card-either-color-after-a-yellow/1020536/1 "2025-07-05T14:24:54Z")
Let’s say Messi gets a yellow card in the 49th minute. Then in the 69th, he’s given a second card and automatically sent off. Ok, so if his second offense would have been worthy of a yellow card were it not for the first yellow card, does the ref first signal yellow then red? Or does he automatically get a red? Whatever punishment he gets after, for getting red-carded and sent off, will it matter if his second card would have been yellow? Or is it all treated the same? \*I understand that for a particularly egregious offense, like deliberately kicking him in his dick, will result in enhanced penalties regardless. ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2025, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soccer-on-getting-a-second-card-either-color-after-a-yellow/1020536/2 "2025-07-05T15:50:18Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > Whatever punishment he gets after, for getting red-carded and sent off, will it matter if his second card would have been yellow? Or is it all treated the same? The referee will show a straight red rather than showing a yellow then a red. The straight red is considered a worse offense so will usually have a longer ban. The tally of cards will also be different (in the “fair play ranking” two yellows is 3 points a straight red 4), for the team and player, which can make a difference, if for example the points, goals scored and goal difference are equal at the end of the group stage: > **[UEFA Respect Fair Play ranking](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/UEFA_Respect_Fair_Play_ranking)** > > The UEFA Respect Fair Play ranking was used by UEFA from 1995 to the 2015–16 season to grant three berths for the first qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League. Since that time it has granted a monetary prize to winning associations. > The three highest-performing associations in the UEFA Fair Play ranking were given an extra UEFA Cup berth for the best-finishing team in their top division who have not qualified for the following season's UEFA Champions League, UEFA Cup Winners' Cup or UEFA Cup... ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2025, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soccer-on-getting-a-second-card-either-color-after-a-yellow/1020536/3 "2025-07-05T20:49:06Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > Ok, so if his second offense would have been worthy of a yellow card were it not for the first yellow card, does the ref first signal yellow then red? Or does he automatically get a red? They show the yellow then the red. > [@HeyHomie](#): > > Whatever punishment he gets after, for getting red-carded and sent off, will it matter if his second card would have been yellow? Or is it all treated the same? If there are no enhancements, then it’s just the one match ban. I guess fair play points differ as griffin1977 points out. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2025, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soccer-on-getting-a-second-card-either-color-after-a-yellow/1020536/4 "2025-07-06T17:12:17Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > Whatever punishment he gets after, for getting red-carded and sent off, will it matter if his second card would have been yellow? Or is it all treated the same? Depends on where he’s playing. In MLS, five yellows is a one-match suspension. A straight red can be an immediate suspension.