The first white card in football

What does a white card in football mean?

Football players’ behaviour has become quite unprofessional through the years (through wasting time, foul play, riots), which is why the white card was introduced. The referee can reward football players and staff members when they show sportsmanlike behaviour. It is rather remarkable that the first white card was given to medical staff members during the women’s football match in Portugal. The medics acted fast when an accident had occurred which is why they were rewarded by the referee. The audience showed their respect through applauding. The first test was successful, even though it looks a little strange and we still have to get used to it.

This is the first time a different colour of cards is being tested since the introduction of the yellow and red cards in the 1970 World Cup in Mexico. The Dutch KNVB already conducted the same test with a blue card instead of a white one in the season of 2014/15, but the blue card wasn't adopted in professional football. It is expected that the white card won’t be instigated in professional football either.

What is referee Bas Nijhuis’s opinion about the white card?

Not everybody is enthusiastic about the test. One of them is professional referee Bas Nijhuis. He claimed in an interview that football associations already devised ways to make the game fairer. Think about fair play awards and fair play rankings. Clubs can even get themselves access to play on European level through these fair play regulations.

Nijhuis also stated a couple of disadvantages. For instance, how many times should one draw the white card. There’s not a specific guideline for that and it’s difficult to determine when to draw the card. You can interpret that in various ways, which is why it won't become a consistent tool. Furthermore, the referee believes football players don’t necessarily need a white card.

The psychology of the white card

By awarding football players with white cards, the focus shifts from the behavioural punishment a yellow and red card represents to what kind of behaviour is expected from football players. Rewarding a player's good behaviour has a positive impact on one’s overall attitude, as is proved in behavioural psychology. The white card is treated more as a symbol because of that theory. Whether it is actually the case in practical application remains to be seen.