SRSport Rules
Football - Law 12

Fouls and cards, sorted out.

Referees are judging two things at once: was there a foul, and if there was, how serious was it? A challenge can be a simple foul, a yellow-card offence, or a red-card offence depending on the force, danger, and effect on the opponent.

Quick ruling: first decide if the action is careless, reckless, or uses excessive force. Then decide whether the situation also needs a caution or sending-off for stopping an attack or denying a goal chance.
Decision path

How the call is made

  1. Decide whether the action is legal contact or a foul.
  2. If it is a foul, judge the level: careless, reckless, or excessive force.
  3. If the player is reckless, a yellow card is usually needed. If the force is excessive or the challenge endangers safety, it is usually red.
  4. Then ask whether the foul stopped a promising attack or denied an obvious goal-scoring opportunity.
  5. Combine the foul and sanction into the final decision.
What changes it

Details fans miss most

  • Not every hard challenge is reckless: force and danger matter more than noise.
  • DOGSO is about the chance: distance to goal, control, direction, defenders, and whether the attacker was likely to keep the ball all matter.
  • Trying to play the ball can reduce the punishment: especially inside the penalty area in some DOGSO situations.
  • The card is not just about contact: it can also be about stopping an attack on purpose.
Common argument

"He got the ball first"

That can matter, but it does not automatically save the player. If the challenge is still dangerous, late, or out of control, a foul and card can still follow even when the ball is touched first.