Soccer fans around the world are familiar with the referee’s method of discipline — one yellow is a caution and red is an ejection — but do they know what a white card means?
A match in Portugal on Saturday between Sporting Lisbon and Benfica saw the third card introduced for the first time — and it was done for good reason. A fan had fainted in the stands during the 44th minute of the Portuguese Women’s Cup quarterfinals, prompting medical staff from both teams to rush to provide aid, according to multiple reports.
Once the situation had been resolved, referee Catarina Campos showed both sides the white card, which is part of an innovative effort to acknowledge and praise acts of fair play.
Fans reacted with applause when the card was shown.
The Fair Play Card is an initiative of the Portuguese National Plan for Ethics in Sport (PNED) and has already been employed at the youth level. According to the European Fair Play Movement, “the number of yellow and red cards were reduced in junior competitions in the season following the introduction of the white card.”
Portugal is the only nation to adopt the white card, having done so at all levels of football except the men’s professional leagues 1 and 2 and Cup competition.
Benfica won the game over Sporting Lisbon 5-0, advancing to the semifinals.