Dissent and unsporting behaviour.

How officials judge it

1. Identify what happened: words, gestures, deception, delay, tactical misconduct, or physical behaviour.
2. Decide whether it is only low-level frustration, dissent, unsporting behaviour, offensive or abusive conduct, or another more serious offence.
3. Check who committed it: player, substitute, substituted player, sent-off player, or team official.
4. Decide the restart only if play was stopped for the misconduct. If play was already stopped, the original restart normally stays.
5. Apply the sanction: warning where the law allows it, yellow card for cautionable misconduct, or red card for sending-off misconduct.

What counts as dissent

Dissent is disagreement with a match official shown by words or actions. It can be shouted criticism, sarcastic applause, aggressive gestures, crowding the referee, repeatedly demanding a card, or refusing to accept an instruction. Players are allowed normal communication, but the line is crossed when the behaviour is public, disrespectful, persistent, or confrontational.

The wider yellow-card category

Unsporting behaviour is broader than dissent. It includes trying to deceive the referee, such as simulation; making an unfair tactical offence, such as stopping a promising attack; committing a reckless direct-free-kick offence; verbally distracting an opponent; using a deliberate trick to get around the goalkeeper handling restrictions; making unauthorised marks on the field; or otherwise showing a lack of respect for the game.

How play restarts

The card and the restart are separate decisions. If misconduct happens while the ball is out of play, the match usually restarts with the decision that had already been given. If the referee stops play only for verbal dissent or another verbal offence while the ball is in play, the restart is an indirect free kick. If the behaviour is also a physical offence, such as pushing or striking, the restart and sanction follow that more specific offence.

When it becomes red

Dissent and unsporting behaviour are usually yellow-card categories, but the same incident can become a sending-off if it includes offensive, insulting, or abusive language or action, violent conduct, serious foul play, spitting, biting, entering the video operation room, or a second caution. A player who has already been cautioned can still be sent off if a later dissent or unsporting-behaviour caution is their second yellow card.

Why the captain is treated differently

The captain has no special right to dissent. The practical difference is communication. Referees may use captains to explain important decisions and calm teammates, and some competitions use captain-only procedures to stop players surrounding the referee. Even then, the captain must approach respectfully; dissent by the captain can still be cautioned.

Misunderstandings to avoid

• "He just asked a question" can be true, but tone, distance, repetition, gestures, and whether the player ignores a warning all matter.
• "No contact means no offence" is wrong. Dissent, simulation, verbal distraction, delaying a restart, and disrespectful conduct can all be misconduct without contact.
• "The referee must warn first" is too broad. Low-level disagreement may be managed with a warning, but blatant or public dissent can be cautioned immediately.
• "Only players can be booked" is wrong. Substitutes, substituted players, and team officials can also receive yellow or red cards.

Source material

• IFAB Law 12: Fouls and Misconduct
• IFAB Law 5: The Referee
• IFAB: Only the captain guidelines
• IFAB VAR Protocol