Soccer, internationally known as "football," is a contact sport, meaning that some degree of physicality is allowed and encouraged in the game. However, in a game that is regulated by officials, a disciplinary system is used to ensure that players do not become overly violent, either physically or verbally. A referee may choose to use the yellow flag -- more commonly called the yellow card -- to warn players.
Dissent
A player may be shown the yellow card if he commits a form of dissent toward the referee or the rules of the game. Examples of this offense include abusive language toward the referee, time-wasting, not retreating 10 yards for a free kick, entering the pitch without permission and general unsportsmanlike behavior.
Foul
The most common use of the yellow flag is to warn a player for a bad tackle. The referee has to believe that the player tackled his opponent with the intent of hurting the other player, rather than simply wanting to win control of the ball; the tackle in the latter case might be violent but not overly so. Once a player collects a series of yellow flags over the course of a number of games, he receives a disciplinary suspension from playing for a set period of time.
Two Yellows
Two yellow flags equal a red flag. If a player receives two yellow flags during a game, he is awarded a red flag; in this instance, the player is sent from the field and not allowed to return, according to website Talk Football. This reduces team size from 11 to 10 players for the rest of the game. The incident that causes a second yellow flag for a player is equal in seriousness to the first.
Linesmen Flags
The yellow flag that the referee produces should not be confused with the flags that the linesmen use. The linesmen are two officials who are positioned at the sides of the field and carry flags. One flag is colored yellow-and-orange; the other is only yellow. The lineman raises his flag when his sees an incident in play, such as an offside player, a throw-in of the ball or a foul.
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