Newcastle and Brighton were both reduced to 10 men in a frenzied FA Cup match that saw two red cards. The result was a 2-1 win for Brighton.
Before 2021, yellow cards (unless you receive two in the same match that leads to a red card) only count for the competition they were received in.
Referee’s Decision
The KMI panel reviews the incidents that were missed by the referee during a match. These include second yellow cards that were not challenged, and also those where the referee incorrectly ruled an incident offside or did not use VAR.
Ismaila Sarr was able to evade a tackle by Millwall goalkeeper Liam Roberts, but the defender caught him above ankle level, and therefore a yellow card would have been justified. However, this was not referred to the video assistant referee (VAR) as it didn’t meet the threshold for an intervention. This incident adds to the growing list of controversial moments in FA Cup Red Cards, where decisions have sparked debate about the consistency of officiating.
Marco Silva and Aleksander Mitrovic were both sent off in a chaotic second half when Fulham lost 3-1 at Manchester United on Sunday. These decisions have an impact on team morale and dynamics and may affect their performance in upcoming league matches. They can also lead to a longer ban depending on the offence and governing body’s disciplinary rules. In general, any player sent off for a second bookable offence (2 yellows) will be suspended for the next domestic game.
Suspension
The rules around suspensions in football are a little bit confusing. For example, a red card in one competition could potentially mean that a player will miss the next match in another. This is what happened with Nick Pope ahead of Newcastle United’s Carabao Cup final against Manchester United after he was sent off in the Premier League against Liverpool.
The FA has introduced an initiative that aims to improve touchline behaviour with managers being given yellow cards for dissent and red cards for serious abuse of match officials, rival players or supporters. This will be run as a trial this season.
However, the five yellow card limit that applies to teams playing in the Premier League will not apply to FA Cup matches. This means that a player can pick up several yellow cards in different FA Cup games and not be suspended until they reach the quarter-final stage. At that point, their yellow card tally will be wiped clean.
Dismissal
In the case of Aleksandar Mitrovic and Marco Silva, both players have been cited by the FA for a series of offences that saw them sent off during the tense and chaotic couple of minutes at Old Trafford on Sunday. The governing body claims that standard punishment for both would be ‘clearly insufficient’.
With Newcastle United facing Brighton and then West Ham before their Carabao Cup final at Wembley, the club’s discipline could be crucial. If a player were to receive a red card in either of those games then they would miss the final – and potentially other Premier League fixtures too.
This is because red cards in the EFL Cup, FA Cup and Premier League all carry over to the next domestic fixture – regardless of competition. Anthony Gordon has already been ruled out of the final after being sent off in Sunday’s clash with Brighton and that ban will now extend to their trip to Wembley.
Ban
Three Newcastle players are walking a disciplinary tightrope heading into Sunday’s FA Cup fifth-round match against Brighton & Hove Albion at St James’ Park and their Premier League clash with West Ham on Monday. Joe Willock, Dan Burn and Will Osula have all been booked in NUFC’s previous game at Birmingham City and a yellow card for any of them could see them miss their club’s next domestic competition (the FA Cup or Carabao Cup).
The rules state that if players receive two yellow cards throughout an entire FA Cup campaign or Carabao Cup one they must serve a ban in the following match. However, the slate is wiped clean once a club gets to the quarter-final. A red card in the FA Cup carries over to the Premier League or domestic competitions - which is how 2023 saw goalkeeper Nick Pope banned for the Carabao Cup final defeat to Manchester United. UEFA rules work in a different way, though.
