This Day in History: 2023-05-25

Nr. 463

MEN IN BLACK GO FOR COLOUR (1970)

Traffic lights provided the inspiration for a change in the rules that transformed football. The red and yellow card system for disciplining players was introduced at the 1970 World Cup – and all because English referee Ken Aston had been stuck at traffic lights in his car. As he waited, it dawned on him that the sequence from red to amber could be a simple way of conveying a ref’s decision to crowds. Along with allowing substitutions for the first time, the cards – yellow for a caution and red for dismissal – made their debut in Mexico and, while a few yellows were brandished, no ane was sent off.

Yellow and red cards made their debut in the 1970 World Cup tournament and quickly became a forture of the modern game.