What are the rules for yellow cards at the Copa America? Which players are at risk?

Ecuador captain Enner Valencia was sent off in his country’s opening match of the Copa America group stage against Venezuela.

The 34-year-old Valencia was sent off in Ecuador’s opening Group B match in Santa Clara after ramming his boot into Venezuelan Jose Martinez’s chest while battling for the ball.

Referee Wilmar Roldan initially showed the former West Ham United striker a yellow card but changed his decision to a red card after a review on the screen.

A red card for violent conduct carries a two-match ban, so if he is found guilty of violent conduct, he would miss the games against Jamaica (on June 26) and Mexico (on June 30).

The athlete takes a look at the players who received a yellow card at the Copa America and the rules surrounding bookings.

What are the card rules for the Copa America 2024?

A player will be suspended for one match if he receives a yellow card in two separate matches.

The number of yellow cards is reset after the group stage – a more lenient rule than at the European Championship taking place at the same time, where the round of 16 and the quarter-finals are also included in the yellow card statistics.

This means that a player can receive two bookings during the course of the Copa America but will not be suspended if one booking occurs during the group stage and the other during the knockout stage.

A player or official who receives a second yellow card of the tournament in the final group match will be suspended for the quarter-finals.

Yellow cards will be reset after the group stage at the Copa America (Omar Vega/Getty Images)

If a player receives a red card, he will be suspended for one match, regardless of the stage of the tournament. The CONMEBOL Disciplinary Unit can impose more severe penalties than the automatic one-match suspension.

If a player receives a red card, any yellow card received during the same match remains valid.

Pink cards are also used at the Copa America to allow players diagnosed with concussion to be substituted without using one of the team’s five assigned substitutes.

A maximum of one pink card per team will be issued per game and the opposing team will have the opportunity to field one additional substitute player and one additional substitution option.

Player with a yellow card

Group A

Group B

Group C

Group D

Player with two yellow cards

Group A

Group B

Group C

Group D

Player sent off

• Enner Valencia — Ecuador

(Hector Vivas/Getty Images)