Yellow Card Procedures:

PIAA is experimenting with NFHS Soccer Rule 12-8-1. This experiment is with the enforcement of actions which fall under Rule 12-8-1, misconduct, and the penalty enforcement of the items listed in items a through g.

The penalty as written by rule is:
A cautioned player shall leave the field and may be replaced. Should the team with the cautioned player, elect to play shorthanded, the cautioned player may not re-enter nor be replaced until the next legal substitution opportunity.

PIAA's rule experiment penalty will be as follows:
A cautioned player shall leave the field and may be replaced. Should the team with the cautioned player, elect to play shorthanded, the cautioned player may not re-enter, nor be replaced until the next legal substitution opportunity after a mandatory five (5) minute playing time sit-out.

The rationale behind this pilot study is to reveal if a five minute "cooling off" period will assist in a reduction of hard, red cards issued during the PIAA soccer season. We have experienced over 2550 hard, red card ejections in the last six years. The PIAA Soccer Steering Committee and Board of Directors believe this mandatory cooling off period will assist in reducing the number of ejections during a contest and will prohibit the cautioned player to immediately return to play at the first substitution opportunity.

It is very important that when a player is cautioned that the Contest officials take the time to properly inform both coaches, the scorer/timer and their partner officials. The biggest key to having this rule experiment achieving success is insuring the officials clearly communicate to all involved parties what occurred and when the player may return to the Contest. Take the time to get it right and properly inform all parties of the actions that need to be taken. Below please find access to a diagram that may be of some assistance to contest officials in the enforcement of this experimental rule.

Yellow Card Re-Entry Form (pdf file)

Additionally, in the support of sportsmanship, PIAA member school administrators will be required to submit to their PIAA District Soccer Chairmen, a response form for each "hard red" disqualification received by the school. A report form will be forwarded to the school Principal and Athletic Director along with the disqualification report submitted by the PIAA registered official. Access to the form is also available under the documents heading at the bottom of the Soccer Page of the PIAA Web site here.

For up-to-date interpretations on the Yellow Card experiment, please utilize the PIAA Preseason Soccer Bulletin and in-season bulletins as they become available at the bottom of the Soccer page of the PIAA Web site.