As the quarter-finals of Euro 2020 roll around, the matter of player suspensions has become increasingly important.
Player who collect too many yellow cards risk missing out on crucial upcoming ties in the knockout stages of the tournament.
The same can be said of players who receive red cards as the competition nears its conclusion.
With the quarter-finals set, here we look at the rules around suspensions at Euro 2020.
How many yellow cards does a player need to be suspended?
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A player will miss the next match after the one in which they pick up a second yellow card.
So, if a player enters a quarter-final on a booking and gets a yellow card in that match, they will miss their team’s semi-final.
Do yellow cards reset at any point during the tournament?
The semi-finals mark the reset for bookings, but only for players who have avoided receiving two yellow cards up to that point.
If a player enters a quarter-final on a booking and does not receive a yellow card in that fixture, they will see the existing yellow card struck off for the semi-finals.
What happens if a player receives a red card?
A red card results in an automatic one-match suspension, at any stage of the tournament.
So, a player who receives a red card in a quarter-final will miss their team’s semi-final.
A player who is red-carded in a semi-final will miss the final of Euro 2020.
Which England players could miss the semi-finals – if England get there?
Central defender Harry Maguire picked up a booking in England’s last-16 victory over Germany, as did central midfielders Declan Rice and Kalvin Phillips.
Elsewhere in midfield, Phil Foden was booked in England’s tournament-opener against Croatia.
As such, all four players must avoid picking up yellow cards in the quarter-final against Ukraine on Saturday if they are to feature in the semi-finals – if Gareth Southgate’s team win in Rome, that is.
Southgate may therefore rest a couple of those players or limit their game time in order to ensure no suspensions in the next round.
