History of Yellow and Red Card in Football

In Football, nothing grabs headlines quite like a red card. The recipient of a red card has to leave the game and the football pitch immediately, forcing his team to face the opponent with a player less. The repercussions for the recipient’s team are anything but simple. With one less player, the dynamics of the game shift instantly, creating a tense and challenging situation.
However, do you know who brought this concept into the game and who was the first player to receive a red card and the first player to receive a yellow card? and also who invented the yellow and red card in football?

After completing his service as a lieutenant colonel in the Second World War, Aston transitioned back to civilian life. In a notable move, he introduced his first innovation to British football. Frustrated by the absence of pockets in the traditional tweed jackets worn by referees for decades, Aston adopted a military-issue black jacket over his white shirt. This modification gained traction, eventually establishing the standard for referees, who adopted the black uniform with white trim. This norm persisted globally for the subsequent fifty years.

Story Behind the Scene

Back in 1962, during the FIFA World Cup in Chile, there was this intense match between the hosts and Italy. The newspapers had already hyped it up as a potential powder keg, calling it the “Battle of Santiago.” The match ended 2-0 in favor of Chile, but the real story unfolded after the final whistle.
The game was a chaotic mess, with players practically assaulting each other. Headbutts, punches, and even spitting – it was a wild scene. Ken Aston, the referee, had his hands full. He had to send off Italian players Mario David and Giorgio Ferrini, with Ferrini needing Chilean police to escort him off the pitch.

Following an incident in the 1966 World Cup England vs Argentina match, Aston learned that the German referee, Rudolf Kreitlein, had booked Jack Charlton. Charlton then called the press office, where Aston, as the Head of World Cup Referees, was ensconced, to confirm the information he had read in the newspaper about Kreitlein booking him.

That night, driving from Wembley Stadium to Lancaster Gate that same evening, Aston had Charlton’s confusion in mind during the journey and realized the necessity of introducing a clear visual system that could be easily understood by players and spectators alike.

While stuck at a traffic light, he got the idea of using a color-coding system similar to traffic lights. Inspired by the traffic light system – yellow for caution and red for expulsion – he thought of using colored cards. When he got home, he shared his idea with his wife, Hilda. She disappeared and returned with two homemade cards made of construction paper – a yellow one and a red one. Thus, the concept was born.

First Players to Receive Yellow and Red Card in Football

Aston pitched his colored card idea to the FIFA Referees Committee, and they greenlit its introduction at the 1970 FIFA World Cup in Mexico. As the tournament kicked off, the opening match between the Soviet Union and the host country witnessed history in the making. Evgeni Lovchev, from the Soviet Union, became the first footballer ever to receive a yellow card.

Surprisingly, throughout the entire tournament, the absence of red cards signaled a positive impact from the new system. Football appeared to fully embrace this innovative communication method between referees and players. Fast-forwarding four years to West Germany, a new chapter unfolded in World Cup history. In a match against the host country, Chile’s Carlos Caszely became a central figure for the wrong reasons. Two yellow-card offenses swiftly led to his early dismissal, marking him as the first player to receive a red card in a World Cup. Placido Galindo was the first player sent off in a World Cup match in 1930, while Carlos Caszely of Chile became the first to receive a physical red card in 1974 against West Germany.

The colored cards not only transformed the way referees communicated decisions but actively shaped the evolving narratives of football history. This marked a significant transition from the chaos of on-field disputes to a newfound clarity on the pitch.