The Copa America 2024 is being played from June 20-July 14, as a total of 16 teams gather in the USA.
Although football is best described as the "Beautiful Game", that isn't always the case; fouls, dangerous tackles, time-wasting, dissent and deliberate handballs all have the occasional tendency to turn a match into an ugly affair.
Cards help referees to make sure the action is being played in the right spirit, and to enforce the laws of the game. But how do those rules work, and in what way will they be enforced at the 2024 Copa America?
The Sporting News provides all the answers on the tournament suspension rules, and what players need to watch out for to avoid costly bans.
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Copa America 2024 yellow card rules — how many before a suspension?
The referee issues a yellow card to signal that a player or team official has been formally cautioned. The official takes notes of the name, match time and type of offence committed in his notebook. This is also known as "picking up a booking."
Disrespecting opponents, unsafe play, any offence to illegally stop advantage play or a counter-attacking situation, time-wasting, dissent and improper celebrations can all lead to a player receiving a yellow card.
A player or a team official on a caution can continue to feature in the game. However, a second yellow card results in an immediate sending-off (via a red card), and at least a one-match ban.
Yellow card rules and bans at Copa America 2024 will follow standard disciplinary guidelines from previous editions of the tournament. If a player receives a yellow card in two separate games, he will be suspended from his side's next match.
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Copa America 2024 red card rules — how many matches is a player banned?
The referee shows a red card to indicate a player or a team official has been involved in an incident or misconduct that goes beyond football's fair play boundaries and requires them to be ejected from the match. A lack of respect for opponents, playing too aggressively and being dangerous in a tackle are some of the most common reasons.
Certain disciplinary standards apply to red card rules and suspensions for Copa America 2024. A player who receives a red card or accumulates two yellows during the same match will be immediately removed from the game and will face an automatic one-match suspension for their team's subsequent match, regardless of the stage of the tournament.
Additionally, depending on the severity of the incident, further disciplinary action, such as extended bans, may be imposed by CONMEBOL.
Any suspension received in the team's final game of the competition will be carried over into their next official international match.
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When are yellow cards wiped at Copa America 2024?
Yellow card accumulation will be reset after the quarterfinals at Copa America 2024, and cards from the first two rounds will not carry over into the semifinals or the final.
This means that any player who picks up a single yellow card in the group stage or the quarterfinals will have their record reset before the semifinals, ensuring the players enter the final four with a clean slate.
However, players who receive a second yellow card in the quarterfinals or who are sent off with a red card will still face suspension for the subsequent match.
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Can a player miss the Copa America final through suspension?
A player can miss the Copa America final through suspension. If they were to receive two yellow cards in the semifinals, or be shown a straight red card, they would then be suspended for the subsequent match, including the final if their team advances.
Likewise, a player sent off in an earlier fixture in the tournament could also miss the final if their ban was to be extended by CONMEBOL for a particularly serious incident.
