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 tables below.
Category 3: Players associated with a team competing in the National League (North and South Divisions), the Isthmian League, the Northern Premier League and the Southern League playing Matches in any League, League cup competition, the FA Challenge Cup and FA Trophy:
COMPETITION IN WHICH CAUTIONS ACCUMULATED | NUMBER OF CAUTIONS ACCUMULATED | CUT OFF POINT (UP TO AND INCLUDING) | AUTOMATIC SUSPENSION/SANCTION | FINE | COMPETITIONS TO WHICH AUTOMATIC SUSPENSION/SANCTION APPLIES |
a) National League (North and South Divisions), the Isthmian League, the Northern Premier League or the Southern League; and b) League cup competition | 5 | 30 November | 1 Match | £20.00 | a) League in which Player’s team competes; and; b) League cup competition |
10 | Second Sunday in March | 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 | |||
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
| N/A | FA Cup Only |
2 (where Player’s Club progresses to or enters in Competition Proper) and for every 2 further cautions | Sixth Round (Quarter Finals) | ||||
FA Trophy | 4 and for every 2 further cautions | Sixth Round (Quarter Finals) | 1 Match | N/A | FA Trophy Only |
- Suspensions which are imposed for reaching these thresholds will commence 7 days following the final caution (or immediately before the play-off matches if the date of the final caution is less than 7 days prior to the first play-off match). Suspensions imposed for exceeding these thresholds at Non-First Team level will be dealt with by the County Association to which the Club affiliated.
- 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.
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