Sending-off offences
A player, substitute or substituted player who commits any of the following
offences is sent off:
• denying the opposing team a goal or an obvious goal-scoring opportunity by
a handball offence (except a goalkeeper within their penalty area)
• denying a goal or an obvious goal-scoring opportunity to an opponent whose
overall movement is towards the offender’s goal by an offence punishable by
a free kick (unless as outlined below)
• serious foul play
• biting or spitting at someone
• violent conduct
• using offensive, insulting or abusive language and/or action(s)
• receiving a second caution in the same match
• entering the video operation room (VOR)
A player, substitute or substituted player who has been sent off must leave the
vicinity of the field of play and the technical area.


Serious foul play
A tackle or challenge that endangers the safety of an opponent or uses
excessive force or brutality must be sanctioned as serious foul play.
Any player who lunges at an opponent in challenging for the ball from the
front, from the side or from behind using one or both legs, with excessive force
or endangers the safety of an opponent is guilty of serious foul play