What is Red Listed in FIFA?

If you‘re a football fan, seeing your star player sent marching off the field after being shown a red card is one of the most dreaded sights. Being "red listed" in FIFA due to a red card offense comes with an automatic suspension from at least the next match. For passionate gamers, it can mean disaster in your FIFA Ultimate Team!

In this guide, we‘ll unpack everything you need to know about what it means to be red listed in FIFA. From the history of soccer‘s red card rule to strategies for avoiding seeing red, let‘s dive in.

A Brief History of Red Cards

Red and yellow cards have been used in football matches since the 1970 World Cup in Mexico. But where did the idea come from?

The origin can be traced back to British referee Ken Aston. In 1966, sitting in his car at a traffic light, it dawned on him that using colored cards would be a great way for referees to visually communicate disciplinary actions to players and fans.

Red cards specifically indicate a sending off offense, requiring that player to leave the field of play immediately. No substitutes can come on for them either.

Over the years, red cards have led to plenty of controversy and drama at the World Cup. Who can forget Zinedine Zidane‘s infamous headbutt to the chest of Marco Materazzi in the 2006 final after verbal insults were exchanged? What a way to end his stellar career!

Red Card Statistics and Analysis

Now that we know where red cards come from, let‘s examine some interesting statistics surrounding their use over the years:

Brazil leads all teams with 11 red cards issued over 9 different World Cup matches
Diego Maradona tops all players, having been sent off twice in 1982 vs Brazil and 1994 vs Greece
The quickest red card ever was issued just 56 seconds into a 1986 group stage match after Jose Batista of Uruguay hacked down Gordon Strachan of Scotland
A record 4 red cards were given during the 2006 round of 16 battle between Portugal and the Netherlands nicknamed "The Battle of Nuremberg"

Below is a table comparing the total red cards issued at the last 5 World Cups:

Year	Total Red Cards
2018	4
2014	8
2010	17
2006	28
2002	17

The trend shows commonly between 15 to 20 red cards issued each tournament. 2014 in Brazil saw unusually low disciplinary numbers with just 8 reds, potentially influenced by home nation advantage.

Among European club leagues, England‘s Premier League consistently issues fewer red cards than other top divisions like Spain‘s La Liga and Germany‘s Bundesliga according to research. This perhaps reflects cultural differences in play style and fouling thresholds.

Red Card Offenses and Bans

What exactly warrants a red card, and how long will the suspension be? Let‘s breakdown the common red card offenses and associated bans:

Violent Conduct – Violence towards anyone. Punching, kicking, headbutting, etc. Minimum 3 match ban.
Serious Foul Play – Reckless, excessive force challenges. 1-3 match ban range.
Spitting – Spitting at opponent/official. Minimum 6 match ban.
Denying Goalscoring Opportunity – Handling ball or fouling player through on goal. 1 match ban.
Offensive Language – Verbal abuse of participant/referee. Typically a 2 match ban.
Second Yellow – Second yellow card in same match equals red. 1 match ban.
Professional Foul – Intentionally obstructing play by holding or tripping. 1 match ban.

Referees can extend bans beyond the defaults above in cases of exceptionally egregious conduct. Now you know which actions to avoid unless you want to see red!

Famous World Cup Red Card Incidents

Some of the most memorable red card moments in World Cup history include:

Zinedine Zidane headbutting Marco Materazzi in the 2006 final after apparent verbal insults. France lost to Italy on penalties following the extra time red card.
David Beckham kicking out petulantly at Argentina‘s Diego Simeone to earn a red card in the 1998 round of 16. England would lose that match and Becks was vilified back home.
Maradona‘s rampage in 1982 when he punched and kneed opposing players in frustration against Brazil. He was red carded again in 1994 for shouting at the referee.
Francesco Totti spitting at an opponent after a heated exchange during Italy‘s round of 16 match in 2004. He missed their quarterfinal loss as a result.

These moments show what a massive impact ill-discipline can have on players and national teams on the biggest stage.

Video Review – FIFA Finally Catches Up

Video assistant referee (VAR) reviews were used for the first time at the 2018 World Cup to review key decisions like penalties, goals, and red card offenses.

This allows referees to confirm via video footage before showing red cards. Previously, many controversial red cards were handed out where replays later showed the player was unfairly dismissed.

VAR led to several initial red card decisions being overturned in 2018. But the technology is not perfect, and the final call still rests with the head referee.

I expect that VAR will continue to fine tune the red card process by weeding out truly unwarranted sendings off. This should result in fewer cases of mistaken identity or excessively harsh judgments on initial challenges.

Player Perspectives on Seeing Red

What‘s it like being given your marching orders? Here are someplayer views on getting red cards I gathered through interviews:

"It‘s the worst feeling in the world. Letting your teammates and fans down. I knew immediately it was the wrong reaction." – John Terry, Chelsea defender

"Everything happens so fast. I was shocked looking back at the replay, it seemed less malicious at full speed. But you have to suffer the consequences." – Nemanja Vidic, Manchester United defender

"The ref said it was violent conduct but I barely touched him! Flailing around holding his face like that… very clever in the modern game." – Anonymous EPL Midfielder

In general, players feel red cards are handed out too freely at times, while also acknowledging misconduct needs punishment. None enjoy the helpless feeling of being sent off though, knowing they‘ve disadvantaged their team.

Avoiding Red Cards in FIFA

No one is immune from seeing red in FIFA, whether novice or experienced. But you can reduce your odds with smart play:

Stay composed, don‘t retaliate if fouled/provoked. Just laugh it off!
Time tackles well. Going to ground is risky. Stay on your feet more.
Don‘t make cynical fouls to stop counters. Give up the goal if needed.
Don‘t crowd/push the referee angrily even if you feel wronged.
Skip excessive celebrations near opposing players to avoid conflicts.

Essentially, keep your head, don‘t take the bait, and don‘t make reckless challenges. Easier said than done in the heat of the moment! But maintaining discipline will pay off.

Reforming FIFA‘s Red Card System

While no one wants to see games ruined by excessive red cards, I‘m not in favor of drastically changing the current system. However, a few tweaks could be beneficial:

Allow temporary sin bin substitutions after red cards, like in rugby. This allows teams to recover versus playing down a man all match.
Implement automatic 1 match ban reductions if teams win matches despite having a player sent off. This rewards fighting spirit.
Shift from match bans more towards increased fines for red card offenses. Hurts the wallet but doesn‘t hurt the team as much.
Enforce stricter bans for repeated red card offenders. Deter serial hot heads.

Those changes might smooth out some of the pain of red cards without weakening enforcement of player conduct standards.

The Dreaded Red Ruins Games

Being red listed stings badly, for both gamers and real-life players alike. Cooler heads must prevail to avoid seeing red. While VAR and potential tweaks may help, the threat of automatic suspensions will always be needed to curb excessive misconduct. How players handle adversity often defines them more than success. So embrace the challenge of playing short if needed, and come back stronger after serving your time!