Champions League Yellow Card Rules: What You Need to Know

Arsenal's Kai Havertz is one of the players who has seen yellow this Champions League season. In this tournament, accumulating four yellow cards leads to a one-match suspension. This rule is in effect from the beginning of the group stage until the quarter-finals. Once the quarter-finals conclude, all yellow cards are cleared, meaning players can no longer be suspended for previous cautions. These same suspension guidelines apply to the Europa League and the Conference League, keeping the rules consistent across major European competitions. So far, during the first two rounds of matches, five players have managed to collect two yellow cards. As they head into the third round, they’re just two cautions away from a one-match ban. Additionally, players face suspension for hitting six, eight, or even ten yellow cards, with each even number above four resulting in a one-match ban. Here are the players currently sitting on two yellow cards: Armando Obispo from PSV Eindhoven, Hakan Calhanoglu of Inter Milan, Jan Virgili from Club Brugge, Marlon Gomes of Shakhtar Donetsk, and Serginio Dest, also from PSV Eindhoven. This article is brought to you by BBC Sport’s Ask Me Anything team, keeping you informed as the Champions League unfolds.