The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) has announced the introduction of new rules for the calculation of yellow cards in the league stages of the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League competitions.
According to the new regulations, players and team officials will be disqualified after receiving not three, but four yellow cards (which did not result in expulsion) in the Europa League. After the first disqualification, the penalty will accrue after each subsequent pair of yellow cards: the sixth, eighth, tenth, and so on.
At the same time, the rules will remain unchanged in the qualifying stages of the European Cups. disqualification will apply after three yellow cards and every subsequent odd card thereafter.
UEFA explains these changes with the reform of the format of the European Cups, which came into force from the 2024/25 season. The increase in the number of matches in the league stages of the Champions League and Europa League competitions from six to eight had led to an increased risk of suspensions due to the accumulation of yellow cards. The new rules are designed to strike a balance between the number of games and the number of cautions allowed.
In addition, the new regulation will also apply to the Conference League, despite the fact that the league stage of this competition will still consist of six matches. This decision is due to possible transfers of football players between clubs participating in different competitions during the winter transfer window.
