red card

American

noun

Soccer. a red card shown by the referee to a player being sent off the field for a flagrant violation.

red card British

noun

a card of a red colour displayed by a referee to indicate that a player has been sent off

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

(tr) to send off (a player)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

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red card

A Tomas Magnusson red card for Hearts preceded the Pierre Landry Kabore equaliser that forced extra time.

From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026

However, it was a competition not without controversy, with one of the biggest issues surrounding the supension of a red card to USA striker Folarin Balogun.

From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026

The red card left Paraguay with 10 players for the entire second half, but the team went on to win the match 1-0.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026

For Barton, the red card illustrates something he believes the public still misunderstands: VAR does not eliminate the need for the referee to interpret the rules.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026

“And then apply it to the card,” he finished, holding up the dripping red card for us to see.

From "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023