Carabao Cup yellow cards: Do suspensions carry over into the Premier League? Rules explained

England's second cup competition may not be the biggest prize on offer but the Carabao Cup enters its business end in the coming weeks.

With just three matches of the 2022/23 edition left to play, player availability is of the utmost importance - both in the Carabao Cup's final rounds and the looming inevitability of Premier League football.

As Newcastle United, Southampton, Nottingham Forest and Manchester United steel themselves for the second legs of their semi-finals, here's everything you need to know about suspensions in the Carabao Cup.


Do yellow card suspensions carry over into the Premier League?

No. Amid the ever-changing maelstrom of rules and regulations, the powers that be at England's Football Association tweaked the laws regarding yellow card suspensions four years ago.

As outlined in the FA's essential handbook for players: "Accumulated yellow cards in cup competitions are treated separately and can result in an automatic ban from the cup competition in which the yellow cards were received."

Therefore, a yellow-card-induced suspension in the Carabao Cup does not carry over to the Premier League - or any other domestic competition. Of course, the reverse is also true. If one of the Carabao Cup semi-finalists racks up a ban-worthy tally of ten Premier League yellow cards, they would still be able to play in the cup.


What about red cards?

Unlike their more lenient and light-hearted cousins, red cards transcend England's domestic competitions. If a player were to receive a ban for a red card shown in a Carabao Cup clash, they would miss their team's next game, whatever domestic competition that may be - including the Premier League.

Southampton's Duje Caleta-Car bore the brunt of this punishment in the Carabao Cup semi-finals. With four minutes of their home leg to play, Caleta-Car was shown a red card, after his second yellow. As Newcastle's Jacob Murphy helpfully waved him off the pitch, Caleta-Car was trudging into a one-game ban.

The 26-year-old served that suspension during Southampton's following fixture, an FA Cup tie with Blackpool - which the Saints won despite the absence of their centre-back. With his ban in the books, Nathan Jones can select Caleta-Car for the semi-final second leg at St James' Park on Tuesday.


Source : 90min