A yellow card is a formal warning in soccer/football. The player usually stays on the field, but the booking is recorded, and repeated misconduct can lead to a second yellow and then a red card, which means dismissal from the match.

What it means

  • It tells the player they’ve committed an offense such as a reckless tackle, dissent toward the referee, time-wasting, or unsporting behavior.
  • The player can continue playing after the card is shown.
  • A second yellow in the same match becomes a red card, so the player is sent off and cannot be replaced.

Possible consequences

  • In many competitions, yellow cards can also add up across matches and trigger a suspension in a later game.
  • Some tournaments reset yellow-card totals at certain stages, depending on the competition rules.

Simple example

If a defender makes a reckless challenge, the referee may show a yellow card. The defender stays in the game, but any further cautionable foul could put the team at risk of losing that player.

TL;DR: A yellow card is a warning, not an immediate ejection; two yellows in one match usually mean a red card and a sending-off.