Just like goals, yellow and red cards are a regular part of a football match. They are most often shown for fouls and discussions with the referee. If you regularly bet on matches, it’s worth knowing at least the statistics on yellow cards. What else should you know about this important aspect of football betting?
Yellow card statistics are usually tracked for leagues, teams, players, and referees. It’s quickly noticeable that the highest number of cards is shown in South American competitions. The temperament of players from this region significantly influences the intensity of the game.
When looking at statistics, it’s worth considering specific players on the team you want to bet on. Sometimes, certain players, regardless of the circumstances, are far more likely to see the popular “yellows.” If a player receives a card in every fourth match, that’s already a statistic worthy of attention.
Among the top five leagues, the most yellow cards are shown in Spain’s Primera Division. Alongside Serie A, it’s also the only league in the top 5 where one team averages more than 2 cards per game. Therefore, yellow card statistics are especially abundant for these competitions. At the opposite end is the Premier League, where referees often prefer to let the game flow to maintain its pace, as seen in Premier League statistics.
Just like match results or goals, cards also hold numerous interesting records, though they’re often not too flattering. Those who hold them are often labeled as aggressive players. Below are a few intriguing cases.
By far, the most cards are shown in Bolivia. In the 2022-23 season, the average was very close to 8 cards per match. Additionally, around 98% of games end with over 4 cards. This makes an over 3.5 card bet highly interesting for this country. Following Bolivia are the Peruvian and Panamanian leagues. This supports the idea mentioned earlier that players in the Americas tend to be more impulsive.
The most red cards in a match were shown during a clash between Claypole and Victoriano Arenas in the Argentine 5th division in 2011. The match was conducted in an extremely aggressive atmosphere. After four players were sent off with red cards, a full-scale brawl broke out involving everyone, from starting players to substitutes and coaches.
In total, referee Damien Rubio recorded 36 red cards in the match report, with 22 given to players on the field and 14 shown to substitutes and staff members.
When it comes to red cards, Gerardo Bedoya holds the dubious record. The Colombian spent his career in his home country and Argentina, receiving a total of 46 red cards over 20 years, averaging more than 2 ejections per year. This record doesn’t even include the two additional reds he received while playing for his national team and later as a coach.
Known for his aggressive style, Sergio Ramos holds the second spot in this ranking with 26 red cards. This number is still remarkably high, and many of his fouls led to penalties for the opponents.
Bookmakers compete in the number of markets they offer, and the same goes for cards. So, what kinds of bets are available for cards in football?
To bet effectively on cards, there are a few key rules to remember, particularly important for this market. Below are some tips to help increase your betting success.
Few people know this, but there’s also something called a white card, introduced in Portugal in 2018. It differs from yellow and red cards because it can be awarded for positive behavior, specifically actions that demonstrate excellent conduct or fair play.
The first white card was shown on January 21, 2023, during a women’s match. In a match between Benfica and Sporting, one of the fans collapsed, and the medical staff quickly attended to them, earning the white card for their actions.
A white card can be given for fair play and behavior that is worthy of praise and emulation. Hopefully, we will see more cards of this color shown in stadiums.
Currently, white cards are just an additional initiative in Portugal, so it’s hard to speak of substantial statistics in this field. Perhaps if fair play cards are introduced worldwide, bookmakers may take an interest in this market as well.