For any fan of football, you know the drill: yellow card, for a caution; red card, for a dismissal. The disciplinary rules in football are so deeply ingrained in the game that we rarely consider changing them.
But there’s a third card, one that few fans of the sport have ever witnessed being used in a professional game – the green card in football.
It might not be among the official rules of FIFA, but the green card has an interesting history, and has reportedly been trialed in a number of different leagues and organisations. Well, let’s analyse where it came from, how it’s been wielded, and if it’s got a shot at ever making it into the mainstream game.
What Is a Green Card in Football?
The idea of the green card didn’t come from a governing body or a top-tier league – it came from a Colombian referee, Roosevelt Castro Bohorquez.
Inspired by the traffic light system, he proposed a third card to balance the punishment system of yellow and red with something more positive: a way to actually reward good behaviour on the field.
Bohorquez developed an entire manual on respect in football, and in youth games, he began testing the idea. Instead of punishing players, the first green card in football was meant to highlight sportsmanship – acts like helping an opponent up, admitting to a foul, or consistently showing respect to referees and rivals.
In short, while yellow and red cards are about discipline, the green card was designed as the opposite: a symbolic pat on the back for doing the right thing.
Could the green card ever be introduced in the FIFA World Cup?
The main reason the green card isn’t widely recognised is simple: it’s not part of FIFA’s official regulations. The disciplinary rules in football, as written by FIFA, only cover yellow and red cards.
That means if you’re watching a World Cup or a UEFA Champions League game, there’s no chance of seeing a referee pull a green card from his pocket.
That said, FIFA hasn’t completely ignored the concept. The organisation has used the term “Green Card” in a very different way, as part of environmental initiatives, encouraging sustainability and climate awareness. But on the pitch? The green card has been left to smaller organisations and experimental leagues.
How Different Organisations Use the Green Card
CONIFA
One of the most notable uses comes from CONIFA – the Confederation of Independent Football Associations. This group represents around 60 members, including regions and teams outside FIFA’s structure, like Northern Cyprus or Tibet.
CONIFA adopted the green card in football but flipped its original purpose. Instead of rewarding players, referees use it as a disciplinary tool. In CONIFA rules, a green card is shown for dissent, simulation (diving), or other unsporting behaviours that don’t quite warrant a red.
When a player receives a green card, they must leave the field – but their team isn’t reduced to ten men for the rest of the game. As long as substitutions are available, another player can come on. Importantly, unlike a red card, there’s no automatic suspension for the next match.
It’s a middle ground: harsher than a yellow, but softer than a red.
Irish FA
The Irish FA went in the opposite direction, sticking closer to Bohorquez’s original vision. There, the green card is awarded for positive conduct, like shaking hands before and after matches, avoiding foul language, or showing restraint in heated moments. It’s essentially an official “fair play” recognition.
The Irish FA believes that by rewarding good behaviour, referees can set a cultural tone in football that’s less about confrontation and more about respect.
Would fans support the use of green cards in high-stakes matches?
And this is when they get complicated. What if the green card was introduced tomorrow by either FIFA or in a top league – how would fans feel? On the one hand, there is growing fatigue among fans regarding controversial football referee decisions, and a new card could introduce more complexity and confusion.
Also, football thrives on intensity and passion – sometimes messy and aggressive. Would players pull their tackles to avoid missing out on a “green card bonus”?
There’s also the betting angle. Imagine being able to bet on soccer games not only for goals, corners, or cards, but also on whether a player earns a green card. Bookmakers would have a field day creating new markets, and fans would have even more ways to engage with matches.
Still, there’s a risk. Overused, the green card could dull the competitive edge of high-stakes contests in leagues like Serie A or the Premier League, in which physical play is part of the game.
