In a match, what happens if the referee issues a yellow card?

When a referee issues a yellow card, it serves as a caution to the player for committing a specific offense. Upon receiving a yellow card, the match continues, and time is restarted when the ball is back in play. This means that the game does not require a pause or any formal stoppage beyond the normal flow of play. The referee may stop the game temporarily to administer a caution, but the aim is to resume play quickly.

Issuing a yellow card does not require a player to leave the field, nor is there any enforced pause of 2 minutes; thus, those points do not align with the rules of soccer. Additionally, a player who receives a yellow card can still be cautioned again for committing further offenses, which could lead to a second yellow card and subsequently a red card, resulting in their ejection from the game. Understanding this mechanism is crucial for players and coaches, as managing player cautions is an important part of strategy during a match.