The first one-match suspensions for yellow card offences in the 2026-27 Premier League season have now been served.
Hull City’s Matt Crooks and Aston Villa’s Matty Cash became the first players to receive a ban for accumulating five yellow cards before gameweek 19.
Players receive a one-match suspension if they pick up five or more yellow cards prior to the conclusion of their team’s 19th league match of the season.
There are now 13 players sitting on four bookings after 10 rounds of matches, meaning they must avoid another yellow card prior to the halfway point of the season to avoid a ban.
Bournemouth have the most players on the brink of a ban, with three players one yellow card away from suspension.
After that date, the threshold increases to 10 yellow cards. Any player reaching that number before the end of their club’s 32nd league match of the season will receive a two-match suspension.
From that point, there are further thresholds at 15 and 20 yellow cards.
For players reaching 15 cautions, they incur a three-match suspension. Punishments for players reaching 20 yellow cards are determined by a regulatory commission.
Those cut-offs do not reset until the end of the Premier League season.
In the Championship, League One and League Two, there are similar thresholds.
However, with those three divisions having 46 rounds of league matches instead of 38, players have to avoid getting 10 yellow cards before the end of the 37th league match in order to not receive a two-match suspension.
In those divisions, the yellow cards are reset at the end of the league season and do not include matches in the play-offs.
