Yellow cards and suspension rules at the 2024 European Championship

Governing bodies are finding more and more ways to punish players.

At the start of the 2023/24 Premier League season, the PGMOL called on referees to caution players for even the smallest of infringements that delayed the restart. The season began with yellow cards being handed out relentlessly for the smallest of infringements.

By the end of the season, overzealous refereeing had disappeared from the league, but that hasn’t stopped UEFA from coming up with a new method to ensure its officials don’t make mistakes at Euro 2024. Nations were warned before the tournament that players could be cautioned for even approaching the referee, and only captains had the right to have their decisions explained.

To be fair, UEFA’s initiative is a smart one, focusing on protecting the centre referee and has been generally well received, but it does increase the likelihood of cautions and suspensions being handed out this summer.

Here’s everything you need to know about UEFA’s suspension rules for Euro 2024.

Although the record is clean for the 2024 European Championship, players will be suspended for one match if they receive two yellow cards in two separate matches before the conclusion of the quarter-finals.

The accumulated yellow cards will be reset after the quarter-finals. However, there is a possibility that players will be suspended for crucial matches in the knockout phase.

Players who receive a red card also receive a one-match suspension. However, the UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body can extend the suspension if it considers that the suspension justifies a longer period. Ryan Porteous, for example, was banned for two matches after being sent off for a bad foul on Ilkay Gundogan in Scotland’s opening match against Germany.

These rules also apply to team officials. If a manager or a member of his coaching staff receives two cautions during the tournament, he will be suspended for one match. After the fourth caution, a further one-match suspension will follow.

UEFA’s suspension rules for Euro 2024 are intended to reduce the likelihood of players missing the final.

Since the list of yellow cards is cleared after the quarter-finals, players can only be suspended for the 2024 European Championship final if they receive a red card in the semi-finals.

The players in the following tables each received a yellow card at the 2024 European Championship and are at risk of being banned for one match.

Group A

Group B

Group C

Group D

Group E

Group F

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