Can coaches be shown yellow and red cards?
Rule- South Africa
- PSL
- Betway Premiership
- IFAB Laws of the Game
- VAR
- Senior
- 2026/27
- Fans
Yes. Under Law 12 (2026/27), team officials in the technical area can be warned, cautioned or sent off:
- Warning (usually): entering the field respectfully, ignoring an instruction from an assistant referee or fourth official, minor disagreement, occasionally leaving the technical area. Repeated or blatant cases earn a card.
- Yellow card, for example: persistently leaving the technical area, delaying a restart, dissent (including throwing bottles or sarcastic clapping), persistently gesturing for cards, provocative behaviour.
- Red card, for example: leaving the technical area to confront a match official, entering the other team's technical area aggressively, throwing an object onto the field, offensive or abusive language, violent conduct, or a second yellow.
If the referee can't identify who in the technical area committed the offence, the senior coach present gets the card. In the PSL, a coach sent off is suspended under the same rule as players (2 matches for a first dismissal) and may not enter the perimeter or tunnel while suspended (NSL Handbook Rule 53.7).
Added 22 Oct 2026