Three bookings can sideline a star at the worst time, so here is how Champions League yellow card suspensions work and when the slate gets wiped clean.
Every booking in Europe's biggest club competition carries weight, and one reckless tackle can leave a manager without a key player when it matters most. Here is how the yellow card system works.
The core rule is simple. A player who collects three yellow cards in separate matches is suspended for the next Champions League game. Cards pile up across the competition, so bookings picked up earlier in the season can come back to haunt a team later. The ban must be served in the competition's next fixture, and it cannot be worked off in domestic action.
There is a safety valve. Yellow cards are wiped after the quarter-finals, so no player can miss a semi-final or the final because of an accumulated suspension. A booking in the last eight still counts toward a ban for the next match, but the slate is clean for the semis. That is why coaches watch card counts closely heading into the quarter-finals, and why some players ease off in tackles once they are one yellow away from a ban.
Red cards are a separate matter. A straight red means an automatic suspension, and UEFA's disciplinary body can extend the ban if the offence is serious enough. Fans and fantasy managers should check each player's card count before every matchday, because a suspension can change a lineup overnight.
