A football player is shown a white card in a lower Portuguese competition. Did you know that green cards were first introduced years ago and do you know their meaning?

Something happened in the fifth Portuguese league that we have only seen once before. A football player was shown a white card by the referee. What exactly does a white card mean and did you know that in the past a green card was also used?

What actually happened? The left-back of Portuguese club União de Montemor made a beautiful gesture of fair play. In the match against Alcaçovense, he had a chance to score after one of the defending players got injured.

In his own penalty area, the defender injured himself after playing the ball, causing him to jump in pain and eventually lie down on the ground.

The attacking player, however, did not take advantage of the offered chance to shoot at goal and instead sent the ball over the sideline so that the opponent could be treated as soon as possible. The referee subsequently showed the footballer a white card.

What does the white card mean?

As you may have already understood, this card can be given to a footballer, a coach or a member of the management team in recognition of a fair play gesture. You may be wondering whether this card benefits the footballer in any way.

The answer is no. The card itself has no later impact and its meaning is only to recognise a sporting gesture. The white card has so far only been seen in Portugal and was therefore also used here for the first time.

It was in a women’s match between Sporting and Benfica Lisbon. In this case, it was an immediate medical intervention by both sides at the moment when someone on the bench became sick and needed quick medical attention.

Green card

This card has had two meanings in the recent past. In the second Italian league, the green card was first used in a match between Vicenza and Entella, when a home footballer pointed out to the referee that the visitors should have taken the ball away from goal instead of awarding his team a corner kick.

Thus, in this case too, it was an appreciation of a sporting gesture. However, it had a completely different meaning on the other side of the world.

In an international football tournament organised by CONIFA in 2018, a green card was awarded after fouls that were beyond the edge of a yellow card, but not quite enough for a red card.

The punished footballer had to leave the field immediately, but could be replaced immediately by another teammate from the bench. Provided, of course, that the team in question had not exhausted the number of substitutions allowed.

Source: Givemesport, Twitter, Euronews