How do green, yellow and red cards work, and how long are suspensions?

FIH Rule 14.1: for any offence, a player may be:

• The team plays one player short for every green or yellow card suspension, and for the rest of the match after a red card.
• A personal penalty can be given on top of the normal penalty for the offence.
• Temporarily suspended players stay in a designated place until the umpire who suspended them lets them return. They may rejoin their team during a quarter-time or half-time interval, but then return to finish the suspension.
• A temporary suspension can be extended for misconduct while suspended.
• A red-carded player must leave the field and its surrounding area.

After a red card (England Hockey Disciplinary Regulations from 1 October 2026):

• Send the red card form within 72 hours.
• The mandatory minimum suspension is 16 days, counting the match day as day 1.
• Longer minimums apply for some offences. Dissent with foul or abusive language towards the umpire is 23 days, and allegations of bias or cheating are 30 days. Violence towards a person other than an official is 30 days, and towards an umpire or match official 60 days.