Red Card Offenses
Red cards are not used in the age 4, age 5-6, and age 7-8 age groups. A red card communicates a sending off to a player and visibly signals the coach that a player has been removed from play. A player so removed from play may not rejoin play for the remainder of the current game and may not be replaced with a substitute player.
A red card indicates to the player that they have been sent off, or ejected from the game, because of their behavior on the field.
At the referee’s discretion, some of these offenses may be cautioned with a yellow card. Normally, a player will be shown the red card and sent-off immediately if that player:
- denies the opposing team a goal or an obvious goal-scoring opportunity by deliberately handling the ball (this does not apply to a goalkeeper within his own penalty area)
- denies an obvious goal-scoring opportunity to an opponent moving towards the player’s goal by an offense punishable by a free kick or a penalty kick
- serious foul play
- spits at an opponent or any other person
- violent conduct
- uses offensive or insulting or abusive language and/or gestures
- receives a second caution in the same match
If a player is shown the red card and sent off, their team may then only play with one less player (total 10 players instead of 11, for example). Please note that no discretion should be shown for severe foul language, obscenity, or dangerous violence. Safety is our Number One priority, and the removal of dangerous players should be used to effect safe game play.
Additionally, an official or a field supervisor may eject a coach or spectator if he commits any of these offenses or for another serious violation of the park or soccer program rules.