The following information has been prepared to provide helpful guidance to Clubs and Participants on The FA Disciplinary Regulations for the 2025/26 Season. This information does not alter or replace the actual FA Rules and Regulations which should be referred to for the full provisions relating to disciplinary matters. In the event of any inconsistency or conflict between the following information and the Rules and Regulations, the Rules and Regulations shall take precedence.
Summary
Accumulating five, ten, fifteen or twenty yellow cards in league matches can result in an automatic ban in your relevant league. Accumulated yellow cards in cup competitions are treated separately and can result in an automatic ban from the cup competition in which the yellow cards were received.
The cut-off dates for receiving a sanction as a result of accumulating cautions are outlined in the table below.
Category 1: Players of Clubs in the Premier League, EFL Leagues, the National League, WSL and WSL2 playing First Team Competitive Matches:
COMPETITION IN WHICH CAUTIONS ACCUMULATED | NUMBER OF CAUTIONS ACCUMULATED | CUT OFF POINT (UP TO AND INCLUDING) | AUTOMATIC SUSPENSION/SANCTION | COMPETITIONS TO WHICH AUTOMATIC SUSPENSION/SANCTION APPLIES |
Premier League | 5 | 19 Premier League Matches | 1 Match
| Premier League |
10 | 32 Premier League Matches | 2 Matches | ||
15 | Last day of the same playing season | 3 Matches | ||
20 | Last day of the same playing season | As determined by a Regulatory Commission | ||
EFL Leagues | 5 | 19 EFL League Matches | 1 Match | EFL Leagues |
10 | 37 EFL League Matches | 2 Matches | ||
15 | Last day of the relevant league playing season prior to the Play-Off matches | 3 Matches | ||
20 | Last day of the relevant league playing season prior to the Play-Off matches | As determined by a Regulatory Commission | ||
National League | 5 | 19 National League Matches | 1 Match | National League |
10 | 37 National League matches | 2 Matches | ||
15 | Last day of the relevant league playing season prior to the Play-Off matches | 3 Matches | ||
20 | Last day of the relevant league playing season prior to the Play-Off matches | As determined by a Regulatory Commission | ||
WSL | 5 | N/A | 1 Match | WSL |
10 | 2 Matches | |||
15 | 3 Matches | |||
20 | As determined by a Regulatory Commission | |||
WSL2 | 5 | N/A | 1 Match | WSL2 |
10 | 2 Matches | |||
15 | 3 Matches | |||
20 | As determined by a Regulatory Commission | |||
FA Cup | 4 (where Player’s Club enters in Qualifying Competition) and for every 2 further cautions | Fourth Qualifying Round (where Player’s Club enters in Qualifying Competition) | 1 Match | FA Cup |
2 (where Player’s Club progresses to or enters in Competition Proper) and for every 2 further cautions | Sixth Round (Quarter Finals) | |||
EFL Cup | 2 | Quarter Finals | 1 Match | EFL Cup |
4 | ||||
EFL Trophy | 2 | Quarter Finals | 1 Match | EFL Trophy |
4 | 2 Matches | |||
FA Trophy | 2 | Quarter Finals | 1 Match | FA Trophy |
4 | ||||
6 | ||||
National League Cup | 2 | Quarter Finals | 1 Match | National League Cup |
4 | 2 Matches | |||
Women’s FA Cup | 4 (where Player’s Club enters in or before the Second Round Proper) and for every 2 further cautions | Quarter Finals | 1 Match | Women’s FA Cup |
2 (where Player’s Club enters in or after the Third Round Proper) and for every 2 further cautions | ||||
FA Women’s League Cup | 2 and for every 2 further cautions | End of Group Stage | 1 Match | FA Women’s League Cup |
- For example; cautions received after the Quarter Finals in most cup competitions would not count as an accumulated caution. Therefore, Players cautioned in either the first leg or second leg of a Semi-Final would not be at risk of being suspended unless they receive either two cautions within the same match or a straight dismissal.
- Where a Player moves between Clubs participating in different Leagues falling within Category 1 during a playing season, any cautions accumulated by the Player in the League in which their former Club participates shall be deemed as cautions accumulated by the Player in the League in which their new Club participates.
- FA Cup: Caution counts are reset at the end of the Qualifying Competition. The caution count threshold has been reduced from 4 to 2 for the Competition Proper (regardless of the round in which the Player’s Club enters).
Category 4: Clubs in the Premier League, EFL Leagues, the National League, WSL and WSL2 playing Friendly Matches.
- Accumulated cautions do not apply to this category.
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