Players Penalized for Red Cards in Colombian Soccer League

19th November 2024, 03:11 p.m. The División Mayor del Fútbol Colombiano (Dimayor), which oversees the regulations for Colombia‘s Primera División or Liga BetPlay 2024, holds firm on the principles of fair play. According to recent updates, players receiving red cards during matches will incur significant financial penalties as outlined in the football code of conduct.

This disciplinary code, detailed in Chapter II under ‘Infracciones a las Reglas de Juego’ declares that players face fines for various misbehaviors including yellow card offenses, red card expulsions, suspensions, insults, provocations, obscene behavior, and assaults. Specifically, for a direct red card, penalties range between six and 12 times the current legal minimum wage, potentially reaching up to 15,600,000 Colombian pesos.

Furthermore, the fine could increase based on the suspension period imposed due to the offense. If the suspension ranges from two to four matches, the penalty increases to between 13 and 20 minimum wages. For suspensions spanning five to eight matches, fines could escalate to 21 to 30 minimum wages. The maximum fine, for prolonged suspensions, can climb to the equivalent of 40 minimum wages, or approximately 520 million Colombian pesos. Notably, the responsibility for paying these fines falls on the players themselves rather than their respective clubs.

Sanctions differ in international competitions such as with the Colombian national team. During the recent Copa América 2024, regulations per CONMEBOL‘s website specified a 400,000-dollar penalty per yellow card. Yet, these penalties are not directly applied to players. Instead, the fines are deducted from the financial rewards allocated to teams for participation and achievements.