Former Man Utd star reveals little-known punishment Premier League players face for getting booked
Ben Foster has revealed how much Premier League players are fined when they receive a yellow card during a match.
The former Manchester United goalkeeper has lifted the lid on several little-known aspects of life as a Premier League player, explaining that footballers face the same £10 fine for a caution, regardless of the level at which they play.
The rules are set out in the Football Association’s handbook and apply at every level of the game, from grassroots football to the biggest Premier League clashes. This means a player booked in a Sunday league match faces the same financial penalty as a millionaire star in the English top flight, regardless of their salary.
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Ben Foster reveals how Premier League fines work
The subject was discussed on the latest episode of Foster’s Fozcast podcast, during which the 43-year-old lifted the lid on his career as a professional footballer.
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Discussing things footballers do that fans absolutely hate, co-host Tom Ochoa said: “The whistle goes, play comes to an end and a player just nudges the ball away five yards and gets booked. If you’re going to do it, pick it up and launch it out of the stadium. Don’t get done for knocking it five yards.”
Foster added: “If you’re going to do it, get a proper yellow card. You have got to pay £10 for that. You have got to pay £10 for a yellow card fine. Even the pros get it because it is an FA fine.”
Wrexham legend Ben Tozer then interjected: “A red card is £50 or £60.”
The former Manchester United goalkeeper added: “You have still got to pay it regardless. So if you are going to do it, do it properly. It is petulant.”
How much are Premier League players fined for yellow and red cards?
Although players may face additional fines from their individual clubs, anyone who receives a yellow card is charged £10 under the FA’s disciplinary rules, irrespective of the level at which they play.
The latest version of the FA Handbook outlines the charges for cautions and dismissals, including the relevant fines, any automatic suspensions and the penalty points accumulated for each offence.
Yellow cards carry a flat £10 fine, while fines for red cards range from £35 to £55, depending on the offence. Denying a goal or an obvious goal-scoring opportunity by deliberately handling the ball, as well as receiving a second yellow card in the same match, carries a £35 fine.
Using offensive, insulting or abusive language results in a £45 fine, while serious foul play, violent conduct and spitting carry the highest penalty of £55.
Red and yellow cards: Offence codes, fines, suspensions and penalty points
- C1: Unsporting behaviour — £10 fine, no automatic suspension, one penalty point.
- C2: Dissent — £10 fine, no automatic suspension, two penalty points.
- C3: Persistently infringing the Laws of the Game — £10 fine, no automatic suspension, one penalty point.
- C4: Delaying the restart of play — £10 fine, no automatic suspension, one penalty point.
- C5: Failing to respect the required distance at a restart — £10 fine, no automatic suspension, one penalty point.
- C6: Entering or re-entering the field of play without the referee’s permission — £10 fine, no automatic suspension, one penalty point.
- C7: Deliberately leaving the field of play without the referee’s permission — £10 fine, no automatic suspension, one penalty point.
- S1: Serious foul play — £55 fine, three-match automatic suspension, five penalty points.
- S2: Violent conduct — £55 fine, three-match automatic suspension, six penalty points.
- S3: Spitting — £55 fine, six-match automatic suspension, seven penalty points.
- S4: Denying a goal or an obvious goal-scoring opportunity by deliberately handling the ball — £35 fine, one-match automatic suspension, three penalty points.
- S5: Denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity to an opponent moving towards the player’s goal through an offence punishable by a free kick or penalty — £35 fine, one-match automatic suspension, three penalty points.
- S6: Using offensive, insulting or abusive language — £45 fine, two-match automatic suspension, four penalty points.
- S7: Receiving a second yellow card in the same match — £35 fine, one-match automatic suspension, three penalty points.
Topics: Premier League, Ben Foster
Rich Fay