Badminton Cards Explained: Yellow, Red & Black Cards

Same as in every sport, badminton has its own rules and also its own set of cards you can receive as a player from the umpire, each with different consequences. In this article you can find what cards badminton has and what each card means for the player and the result of the match.

In short: a yellow card is a warning, a red card costs the player a point, and a black card means disqualification.

Verbal caution:

Most of the time, the umpire starts off with a caution to inform the player they are not following the rules. This is done by calling the player over and informing them of the misconduct. This is not mandatory before giving a card, but this will explain what you see happening on court sometimes. This is only once or twice before they move to cards. This is often done if the situation is unclear and heated. They try to calm the player in this way to prevent further escalation. But if a clear offence has been done, they might straight away draw a card, BWF rules do not state anything about verbal cautions needed before cards.

Yellow card:

A yellow card is seen as a formal warning by the umpire to the player. This is often only given after already calling the player over multiple times to address the issue. The most common reason for a yellow card in badminton is time delay. This is when a player is delaying the game (on purpose) to gain an advantage. It is not possible to receive 2 yellow cards in a match, the next card will escalate to a red one. In doubles, the warning applies to the side. Once the pair has received a yellow card, further misconduct by either player can result in a red card.

After receiving a yellow card, the game progresses like normal. However, the player does receive a fine from the BWF if it is the 3rd card in that year, of $500 and $250 for every yellow card after that. However, keep in mind there are also fines for certain types of misbehaviour, so sometimes this can be added on top of the misconduct.

Red card:

A red card does not happen often in badminton. It is not like in football where the player has to leave the court. In badminton the opponent gets the following point awarded as punishment, and the match continues (if there are more points to be played). Also there is, same as with yellow, a fine that comes with the card, only for red it is always $500. It is possible to receive a straight red card, without a yellow first. This only happens when the misconduct is quite severe. Red cards do not have direct consequences for the next match, like in other sports such as football for example. Although serious misconduct can lead to further disciplinary action. 

Black card:

The black card is used only in most extreme cases, and in recent history has seldom been given. The black card means disqualification and the match has ended. The black card itself disqualifies the player or pair from the match. BWF can impose further disciplinary sanctions separately after the incident.

Coach:

Coaches and team officials can also be penalised for misconduct. For example, they are not allowed to coach while the shuttle is in play, distract an opponent or fail to return to their chair when instructed. The referee can remove a coach from the field of play, and BWF fines can also apply. 

Other tournaments:

This outline is for BWF sanctioned tournaments, and local rules might be different. For BWF-sanctioned junior and senior tournaments, these rules and penalties apply. However, for junior tournaments the referees are often more lenient than with the elite level players.

Reasons for cards:

Here are some common reasons for receiving cards in badminton:

• Delaying the game

• influencing the referee or other officials

• Shouting at or abusing an opponent 

• Inappropriate language

• Throwing rackets

• Not following the umpire's instructions 

Below you can find a video of some cards given in badminton:

Conclusion:

Now you know all the cards in the game, and next time you are watching you know what is happening when the umpire calls the player up for their misbehaviour. Luckily in our sport this does not happen very often.