Section 7: Violations & Penalties
Technical fouls. Minor infractions of the playing rules - such as an over-carry (exceeding the permitted four steps), a double bounce, an unfair pick-up of the ball from the ground, or a "square ball" offense in the small rectangle - are penalised with a free kick to the opposing team from the place of the infringement, without further sanction. The technical fouls and their penalties are set out at Rule 4 (Technical Fouls).
Aggressive fouls. More serious physical infractions - including striking, tripping, pulling down an opponent, jersey-pulling, and the third-man tackle - result in a free kick to the fouled team and may additionally be sanctioned with a yellow, black, or red card at the referee's discretion, depending on severity. The aggressive fouls and their penalties are set out at Rule 5 (Aggressive Fouls); the "third-man tackle" is not a term used in the rules, and such challenges are dealt with under Rule 5.19, behaving in any way dangerous to an opponent.
Yellow card. A yellow card is a formal caution for cynical or reckless conduct. A player receiving a second yellow card in the same game is dismissed and shown a red card, and the offending team plays the remainder of the game with one fewer player, without replacement. A Cautionable Infraction is punished by a caution and a Yellow Card, and a second Cautionable Infraction by a second Yellow Card followed by a Red Card (Rules of Control, Rule 1.2(ix)(a)-(b)).
Black card. A black card is issued for specified cynical fouls - including but not limited to deliberately tripping or pulling down an opponent who has a goal-scoring opportunity or clear advantage, deliberately body-colliding with an opponent off the ball, and interfering with a "solo-and-go" - and results in the player being withdrawn from play for a 10-minute sin-bin period, during which the player may be replaced by a substitute. A player black-carded a second time in the same game is dismissed with a red card and is not replaced, leaving the team to finish with a numerical disadvantage. A Black Card orders the player off for ten minutes in the Sin Bin, for a Cynical Behaviour Infraction or a breach of Rule 5.41, provided the player has not already been cautioned in the game; the ten minutes runs irrespective of delays and traverses normal and extra time (Rules of Control, Rule 1.2(ix)(d)).
Red card. A red card is shown for the most serious infractions (such as violent conduct, deliberate striking, or a second cautionable/black-card offense) and results in the immediate and permanent dismissal of the player, who may not be replaced. Any sequence or combination of two infractions drawing a Yellow or Black Card is punished by that card followed by a Red Card (Rules of Control, Rule 1.2(ix)(e)).
Dissent. Dissent shown toward a match official, or interference with a fouled player's solo-and-go restart within the protected 4-metre zone, results in the referee advancing the free 50 metres toward the offending team's goal, and may additionally be sanctioned with a card. Showing dissent with the referee's decision to award a free to the opposing team advances that free to a place 50m more advantageous, up to the opponents' 13m line (Rule 6.4).