Have a look at what is a white card in football and when is it shown along with its meaning
On Saturday, January 21, a referee issued the first-ever white card in football, which was a historic event.
The event was a quarterfinal women’s cup match between Benfica and Sporting Lisbon. The Estadio da Luz crowd reacted pleasantly to the sight as Benfica was ahead 3-0 at the time the card was shown.
The yellow and red cards, which have been a part of football since the 1970 World Cup, are well-known to football fans.
Explained what is a white card in football, its meaning and its rules
However, what does the recently used white card mean, and why was it used in the Benfica vs. Sporting Lisbon game?
White cards, which are used to reward teams for displaying excellent sportsmanship on the field, are relatively new to football fans.
This is an effort to promote moral behaviour and enhance the game’s atmosphere. Several other measures that Portugal has implemented include the white card.
Football’s first-ever white card
The first-ever use of the white card in a professional football match occurred during the Portuguese women’s cup game between Sporting Lisbon and Benfica.
In the Taca de Portugal cup match, referee Catarina Campos used the chance to praise a display of sportsmanship between the two opposing sides.
Benfica was leading its Portuguese opponents 3-0 at the Estadio da Luz on Sunday when both teams’ medical staff went to aid a spectator who had collapsed there just before the 44th minute.
The choice made by Campos received loud cheers from the crowd, as did the medical staff who attended to the sick fan before returning to their benches.
Before Campos became the first match official to display a card that wasn’t red or yellow, the players were confused when the referee reached into his pocket.
Cards are often only given out in response to undesirable behaviour, although this could alter in the future.
Benfica went on to win the game 5-0, which will go down in Portuguese soccer lore and moved on to the Women’s Cup quarterfinals.
White card, a unique FIFA rule
The white card is only one of many unique FIFA rules that have recently been implemented, such as the addition of extra stoppage time to deter time-wasting and concussion replacements, both of which were widely used at the men’s World Cup last year.
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