Portugal and France adopted the white card for very different reasons.Stock struggle
Drawing a yellow or red card from the pocket, nothing could be more natural for football referees. But today, more and more of them have another alternative: white cardboard. It does not have the same meaning in all countries.
The video spread around the world. It was January 2023, when the referee showed the white card in the Portuguese Women’s Cup quarter-final match. With his gesture, he wanted to salute the fair play of the medical staff of the two teams, who had just provided assistance to a spectator who had become ill.
What happened?
Video: YouTube
The Portuguese Federation launched this “Fair Play” card in 2018, initially intended for youth categories. In 2020, it extended to all levels of Portuguese football, but it wasn’t until 2023 during Benfica-Sporting Women that we really realized the system. It must be said that the white card that was waved at this level, It was a great start.
New scene from fair play To Portugal
In mid-October, the white card came out again, this time during a match in the fifth division, as many Portuguese and British media revealed a few days ago.
After one of the defenders in possession collapsed on the edge of the penalty area, the opposing striker chose on his own not to confront the goalkeeper. He preferred to communicate, which earned him a standing ovation from the audience, and this void was purely honorary.
Procedure on video 📺
Video: YouTube
Because yes, this card doesn’t change anything during the game. Its sole purpose is to promote good behavior on the soccer field.
“It is a card with symbolic value intended to encourage fair play. We want to recognize and reward positive behaviour, so that mutual respect and fair play grow in national football.
José Fontelas Gomes, President of the Portuguese Arbitration Council
This initiative is reminiscent of the green card that was implemented in Serie B during the 2016/2017 season to improve the image of football in Italy. Galano, Vincenza’s striker at the time, was the first to receive it. the reason? He had asked the referee to cancel the decision in his favor.
If these cards have only an honorary value, the situation is different in France, where the white card directly affects the game.
Dispute= 10 minutes in the closet
In France, obtaining a white card is not fair behaviour, quite the opposite. The system is not the same, it punishes. Players who object to refereeing decisions may be sent off for 10 minutes.
The French white card saw the light in 2015, in several leagues, to attempt this Put an end to all these violent debates surrounding governance decisions. It has never been used outside of the managerial and regional competitions that have adopted it, and is therefore not available to national referees, such as referees in Ligue 1.
He continues the seduction, although many dissidents see it as a way to further inflame the meetings. Asked before The telegramRegional referee David Gallio explained that players who “return to the field after a white card are real lambs.” In the 2023/2024 season, the initiative is gaining further progress. New regions have adopted this system, such as the regions of Ur, Alier or Moselle.
Some committees go further, using the white card to punish anti-playing fouls or by permanently sending off players who receive a booking while serving a 10-minute exclusion.
In France, it’s better to cover boxes in white rather than plain white (in moderation, anyway 😉).
