Answer: 46 is max number of cards before abandoning game

Here’s the answer of the question: How many cards can a referee give to active players during a competition match on highest amateur level before he needs to abandon the match?

The options were, as posted in my previous blog post about the Dutch Laws of the Game Champions 2013 won by Utrecht.
• A. Max. 39
• B. Max. 40
• C. Max. 46
• D. Max. 47

The correct answer is C.

The explanation. I got questions about the number of substitutes. That is three.

A referee could book all players from both teams: 2 x 11 = 22 yellows. Then the coaches could use substitues and all substitues could get booked as well. Plus 6 yellows = 28 yellows. From each side 4 players can receive a second yellow + following red. This ads 8 players x 2 cards (= 16). Add this to the previous 28 and it makes 44. The next time a player receives yellow (and subsequently red [cards 45 and 46]) the game has to be abandoned because one team has less than 7 players.

Someone mentioned that there could be in incident after 44 card for which the referee has to send off more than one player with his second yellow. Fact is that the referee needs to abondon the match after giving the 46th card. Other cards have no influence anymore, because the referee “needs to abondon the match” at 46.