How Were The Cards “Yellow And Red” Invented In Football?

Yellow and Red cards are a staple of every football game, but it was still very late in history when these rules were introduced. Today we look at the reason why this rule was added to our game and when was the first time this rule was implemented in an actual game. 

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It will be fascinating to know how rough the matches might have been before introducing the yellow and red card in Football. Until 1966, the referees used to warn the players and the managers verbally without any significant repercussions on the foul they have made. However, if a foul is too clumsy and a player had to be sent off, the referee must tell the player to leave the field. This norm had many flaws in it, and it was made pretty evident in a particular game. The quarter-final between England and Argentina was full of drama, fouls, and controversy, all at the same time. One specific incident took place, and the Argentinian captain committed an offensive foul on an English player. This left referee Ken Aston no option but to send the Argentinian captain off. But since the player was full of anger and agitation, he continued playing the game and said he didn’t hear the referee’s warning of sending him off earlier. After such a high-profile game ended in such a controversy, a new solution was needed to make sure the players listen to the referee’s warnings and signals. Finding the answer was also given to Ken Aston, and he got inspiration from Traffic lights. Therefore, he suggested that FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) introduce cards into the game. A yellow card would mean it is just a warning for the foul committed and shouldn’t be repeated, whereas the red card told that you have to leave the field as the challenge committed is a major one and could have injured the opposition player. This move turned out to be a phenomenal one not only on a short-term basis but also in the more extended scheme of things. The 1970 FIFA World Cup was the first time this rule was implemented in a major tournament involving countries worldwide. 

Nowadays, many new small rules have been added to this law, and it has been done to make the game better to watch and play.