Understanding the White Card in Football: Regulations, Evolution, and Application

There have always been red and yellow cards, but what is a white card in football?

The white card recognizes fair play and holds no benefits or detriments for players, coaches, or staff.

The white card was introduced in the Portuguese Women's Cup quarter-final match between Benfica and Sporting Lisbon for the first time in a professional setting on January 21, 2024.

The introduction of this new card was a historical moment in Portuguese and world football.

Referee Catarina Campos made history by becoming the first official in a competitive game to pull out a card of any colour other than red or yellow.

The white card was used in a match between Benfica and Sporting Lisbon when medical teams assisted a fan who fell ill.

Medical staff from both teams raced to rescue a supporter in the stands at the Estadio da Luz in Lisbon.

The white card shows Fair Play and is part of a series of new introductions in football.

The white card symbolizes kindness and good faith, like the white dove symbolizes peace. 

The white card has gained traction in Portugal. FIFA, however, has yet to approve its use globally. 

The evolution of the white card in football regulations and its application

The white card has an interesting story. There have been two opposite factors determining its use in football by referees. 
Michel Platini, the former controversial UEFA president, introduced the idea of the white card in football.

Platini's initial idea, however, had a different meaning to how the card is used in Portugal.

The Frenchman wanted the white card to be used as punishment for players who had shown the officials any dissent.

Platini wanted to use the white card as a form of sin-bin for players.

If a player received a white card, they would have to spend 10 minutes on the sidelines.

This idea stems from rugby union, where players spend 10 minutes in the sin bin after receiving a yellow card.

Instead, in Portugal, the white card has been used to reward kindness and medical procedures.

Part of a new initiative in Portugal, the hope is that a white card encourages ethical values in football.

The white card is not the only new card trialled in world football. A similar idea was trialled in Italy's second division, Serie B, in 2016.

Understanding the green card in football

The green card has different uses in different football tournaments in various countries.

Instead of a white card, the referee brandished a green card for virtuous acts on the pitch, acts of sportsmanship.

In October 2016, history was made during Virtus Entella’s 4-1 win over Vicenza when Vicenza attacker Cristian Galano was handed out the game’s first-ever green card in a competitive game

Galano was shown the green card for admitting that an opposition defender had not touched the ball after the referee, Marco Mainardi, had awarded a corner.

The green card has also taken on a different meaning than the one mentioned above.

The green card has been used in the 2018 CONIFA World Cup, which sees non-FIFA affiliated nations take each other on.

The green card took on a different meaning, however. The green card was an ‘in-the-middle’ card between the red and yellow.

Players who received the green card would spend a set amount of time on the sidelines.

This is like Platini's initial idea for the white card.

What is the future of the white card in football?

The future of the white card in football is uncertain.

The white card's use in Portugal is here to stay. Its use around other leagues in Europe and the world might take a while to implement.

UEFA and FIFA are notorious for taking time with decisions, so we will only have yellow and red cards for the near future.