From the U.S. Soccer Communications Center -- Jan. 6, 2003 

                                              Memorandum

To:      State Referee Administrators   CC: All Professional Leagues 
           State Youth Referee Administrators 
           State Directors of Referee Instruction 
           State Directors of Referee Assessment 
           National Referee Instructors and Trainers 
           National Assessors 
           National Referees 

From:   Alfred Kleinaitis 
            Manager of Referee Development and Education 

Subject: Rescinding a Displayed Card for Misconduct 

Date:  January 6, 2003 

After the completion of a top professional league match recently played in Europe, the referee decided to cancel (rescind) a
caution he had given during play for an act of misconduct.  Questions have been raised regarding the correctness of this
decision under the Laws of the Game.  The following guidance is applicable to the general issue of whether a card for
misconduct of any sort can be canceled. 

· A displayed red or yellow card can be canceled by the referee if play has not restarted. 

· If play has been restarted or if the match is over (including required periods of additional play and/or kicks from the penalty
mark), a displayed red or yellow card cannot be canceled by the referee for any reason. 

· If the referee believes a card has been issued in error, regardless of the reason, the card must still be included in the match
report and the referee must provide all details relevant to the mistake.  In such cases, the determination of the validity of the
card is left to the competition authority. 

· The failure of the referee to include accurately and fully all cards displayed during play is a serious violation of the referee’s
responsibilities. 

Referees should note Question #9 under Law 12 in FIFA’s Questions and Answers to the Laws of the Game where it is
specifically noted that the referee may not decide to rescind a caution if the player who has already been charged with
misconduct apologizes.