Rugby
How does the yellow card work in rugby?
With the Top 14 underway and the Champions Cup fast approaching, we take a look at the yellow card and penalties in rugby.
At last, the rugby season is well and truly underway! In a few months, it will be time to sit back and watch the French national team attempt to retain its title at the 2025 Six Nations Tournament. Before then, Thomas Ramos, Romain Ntamack and Co., already top of the Top 14 after 8 rounds, will have launched their European campaign in the Champions Cup. To make sure you don't miss out on any of the highlights of the game and to give your opinion as the ultimate rugby expert, after our articles on positions, attacking bonuses, rucks, and the history of this great sport, it's time to take a look at the yellow card.
The yellow card in rugby: understanding this match-changing penalty
01
What is the yellow card in rugby and when is it used?
It's probably not news to anyone, but we're going to kick the door down like Jonah Lomu against a last defender: in rugby, the yellow card is used to punish a player who has committed an offence.
The origin and evolution of the yellow card in the rules of rugby
The little cardboard tablet first saw the light of day in the world of football, after an imbroglio during England v Argentina in 1966. To clarify the situation and show everyone, from players to spectators, what the referees' decision was, the chairman of the Referees' Committee, Englishman Ken Aston, took inspiration from the colour code of traffic lights (yellow for a warning, and red for a clear stop). Four years later, at the 1970 World Cup in Mexico, the cards were out.
Rugby was inspired by this initiative, and in 1997 the tool was tested in the English championship. Two years later, in 1999, its use became widespread.
In rugby union, the yellow card not only carries the threat of a second caution, as in football, but also, in the manner of ice hockey, sends a player to the sidelines for a set period of time.
Duration of the temporary penalty
The penalty lasts for 10 minutes, a duration that is both short and long and has an impact on the progress and outcome of a match.
Offences that can result in a yellow card
A yellow card is given to a player when he makes a bad move such as a high tackle (contact to the head and/or neck) or any other action considered to be dangerous or unfair play. To be clear, anything that endangers the physical integrity of opponents falls into this category.
Julien Marchand stops to sign autographs
© Grégory Hippolyte/Red Bull Content Pool
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Comparison with other sanctions: red card, white card and orange card
The red card in rugby
Logically, the red card is the penalty above the yellow card. Until recently, it could be given for a second caution. More directly, it is shown in the event of or for an unsporting and very dangerous gesture. In this situation, the player is sent off for the rest of the match with immediate effect.
The white card in rugby
Very rare (we could still make an allusion to Pokémon, but we'll refrain), the white card is shown when a player commits a series of technical fouls that interfere with the smooth running of a match. Like the yellow card, it results in a temporary ten-minute ban.
The orange card in rugby
The orange card is a new addition to the two primary colours. In the event of unfair play that is neither deliberate nor intentional, or a second yellow card, a player may receive an orange card. In this case, he is sent to the bench and his team plays with a numerical disadvantage for 20 minutes. Once this time has elapsed, the offending player may be replaced, but may not return to the game.
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Impact of the yellow card on the dynamics of the game
The yellow card is there to keep players healthy
© Tyrone Bradley/Red Bull Content Pool
The 10 minutes of numerical inferiority
In the world of rugby, where overruns on the outside (and 1-on-2 situations) and tries by Damian Penaud and Louis Bielle-Biarrey are king, defending with 10 men is far from easy. Whether you're talking about fatigue, time of possession to take a breather, or occupying and covering the field, finding yourself with one player missing has a significant impact, both immediately and in the long term.
The statistical impact of the yellow card on the final score
Some people are used to saying that a yellow card is worth 7 points (i.e. a converted try), but in reality this is quite far from the truth. If we look at the statistics for the 2019 World Cup: half the time, the team with the numerical superiority scored no points at 15 to 14. Averaged over the competition, a yellow card is worth 2 points.
Obviously, these statistics are only true for this particular competition and differ for each league. In England, during the 2022/2023 season, the figure was 3.16 points.
04
Which players have received the most yellow cards in the history of rugby?
At international level, Michael Hooper is the record holder of yellow cards with his national team. The Australian has 10 yellow cards in 115 caps, ahead of Argentina's Tomas Lavanini (9 cards in 82 caps) and Georgia's Vito Kolelishvili (8 cards in 50 caps).
By seeking to protect the physical integrity of the players and their compliance with the rules, the governing bodies seem to have found a good compromise that will allow the refereeing body to apply the laws of the game with clarity, and should see Juan Cruz Mallía frolicking on his wing for many years to come.