What is a red card?
A red card in soccer means a player is sent off and must leave the field immediately. Their team cannot replace them, so it plays the rest of the match with one fewer player.
Referees show a direct red card for serious offenses such as violent conduct, serious foul play, spitting, using offensive language or gestures, or denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity with a foul or deliberate handball. A player also receives a red card after getting a second yellow card in the same match.
A sent-off player is usually suspended for at least the next match, and longer bans can be given for serious incidents. Coaches and team officials can also be shown red cards for misconduct on the sidelines. A team reduced to fewer than seven players must abandon the match.
Famous red cards
Some of the most remembered red cards came in World Cup finals. France's Zinedine Zidane was sent off in the 2006 final for headbutting Italy's Marco Materazzi, in the last match of his career. Players have sometimes been sent off within seconds of a match starting.
Did You Know?
Goalkeepers are often sent off for handling the ball outside their penalty area to stop a clear chance on goal.