UEFA has approved significant changes to the disciplinary regulations for European club competitions, easing the criteria for suspending players and officials after accumulating yellow cards.
From the 2026/27 season, in the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League, players and officials will be automatically suspended for one match only after receiving four yellow cards, which do not result in expulsion from the game.
Until now, the suspension was activated after the third yellow card, but UEFA decided to change this rule after the reform of the new format of European competitions, where the league stage in the Champions League and Europa League was expanded from six to eight matches.
The same system will also be implemented in the Conference League, with the aim of unifying disciplinary rules across all three competitions.
Under the new ruling, suspensions will not stop at the fourth yellow card. Players and officials will also miss a match after every two additional yellow cards, i.e. after the sixth, eighth, tenth and so on.
