Guidance on Issuing of Yellow/Red Cards

Players, substitutes or substituted players

Any information regarding cards issued to players, substitutes or substituted players shall be recorded on the first page of the USSF Referee Report form, as is the usual method of reporting.

Coaches

A coach or bench personnel (not a player, substitute, or substituted player) that is deemed to be displaying irresponsible behavior may be shown a yellow or red card. This is a change by the league as of this season. The referee must ensure prior to the start of the game that this game is under the auspices of a league that allows this deviation from USSF/FIFA Laws of the Game.

· Coaches or bench personnel warned (yellow) or dismissed (red) shall have the information regarding the type of card and the words irresponsible behavior recorded on a supplemental report form (second page)

· In addition, the information will need to be submitted on the YC/RC/Coach Ejection Report

· As always, if a coach displays irresponsible behavior and they are warned or dismissed, there needs to be description of what was said and/or done both by the coach and the referee on the supplemental report as well.

Methodology of Displaying Cards

Whenever a player, substitute or substituted player, and now coach, is shown any card, the display of the card needs to be in the general vicinity of the person to whom it is issued and it must be clear to whom the card has been issued.

Game Restart

When a game is stopped for the sole purpose of issuing a yellow or red card to a coach or bench person, the proper restart is a dropped ball at the point the ball was when the game was stopped.

If the game has already been stopped, and then the card is shown, the correct restart would be based upon the reason for the stoppage of play.