Fouls and cards: careless, reckless or excessive force

Three levels of seriousness

• Careless: the player shows a lack of attention or consideration, or acts without precaution when challenging. It's a foul, but no card is needed.
• Reckless: the player acts with disregard for the danger to, or consequences for, the opponent. It's a foul and a yellow card.
• Excessive force: the player uses far more force than necessary and endangers the safety of the opponent. It's a foul and a red card.

Direct free kick offences

Actions against an opponent such as charging, jumping at them, kicking or attempting to kick, pushing, striking, tackling or challenging, and tripping or attempting to trip are penalised with a direct free kick (or a penalty kick inside the offender's area) when done carelessly, recklessly or with excessive force. These are also direct free kick offences, with no need to judge that seriousness:

• Holding an opponent.
• Impeding an opponent with contact.
• Biting or spitting at someone.
• Handball.
• Throwing an object at the ball, an opponent or a match official, or touching the ball with a held object.

Indirect free kick offences

• Playing in a dangerous manner without contact.
• Impeding an opponent's progress without contact.
• Dissent or offensive language when play is stopped only for that.
• Preventing the goalkeeper from releasing the ball from their hands, or trying to play it while they release it.
• Any other offence not mentioned in the Law for which play is stopped to caution or send off a player.

Serious foul play and violent conduct

Serious foul play is a tackle or challenge for the ball with excessive force or brutality. Violent conduct is using or attempting to use excessive force or brutality when not challenging for the ball, whether against an opponent, a teammate, a match official or anyone else. Both are sending-off offences.

Practical tip

Look at the speed, the intensity, the point of contact (tackles with the studs at ankle or shin height are especially dangerous) and whether the player had a real chance of playing the ball. Whether or not the opponent is injured does not, on its own, determine the card.