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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

That Haaland stayed on his feet likely saved Gabriel from a red card.

From BBC • May 19, 2026

"In today's game, it is a red card and it is dangerous," said Jackson.

From BBC • May 18, 2026

You could see the arguments for a red card.

From BBC • May 5, 2026

Referee Paul Tierney initially took no action, but showed the red card to the centre-back after the VAR advised him to check the incident on the pitchside monitor.

From BBC • May 2, 2026

“In soccer you get shown the red card and you’re out of the game!”

From "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" by J.K. Rowling

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