Ever turned on a football match and thought one of the players was acting out of sorts? We have. Tons of times. And the refs definitely have. But instead of saying ‘maybe you just need a Snickers,’ they use red and yellow cards. Effective, but nowhere near as tasty as chocolate in our opinion.

As experts in out of sortsness, allow us to explain these offences. We’ve got you.

The yellow card

This is the caution card. A warning. It lets the player know they’re on thin ice, but they can keep playing. Pretty much the definition of telling someone they’re out of sorts.

Yellow cards are most often flashed up when a player is too aggressive, arguing with the ref, wasting time, or commits one too many fouls.

The red card

This one’s the ‘you’re out’ card. Red cards are given for more serious offences and result in the player getting sent off the pitch. Which means the team is down a player. Not a good thing if they’re in your fantasy lineup.

Red cards are usually handed out for reeeally foul play, any kind of violence, or blocking an obvious goal. And once someone gets a second yellow card, that’s a red card. Sheesh.

The cards’ impact

Red and yellow cards have an immediate effect on gameplay. Since getting a yellow card means a player is one strike away from being sent off, they’d be smart to rein it in.

The effect of a red card is a bit harsher. If a team has to finish out the game with one less player, that’s a big disadvantage. Especially if it’s a tight match.

And now you know. You could practically make the calls yourself. Maybe leave that to the refs though. Just sit back, relax, and chill with your chocolate bar