A booking-points market assigns a numerical value to cards; a card-count market counts qualifying cards under its own rules. A player-to-be-booked selection measures a named player. These products can produce different results from the same referee decisions.
Read the scoring system
For its relevant booking-points markets, the Betfair rules reviewed here use 10 points for a yellow and 25 for a red, with 35 for a player dismissed after two yellows. The same rules restrict the relevant participants and time period. This is an operator example, not a universal scoring system.
Source notes: 1.
Worked example: points are not card totals
Assume a hypothetical points market using the 10/25/35 convention. Player A receives one yellow, Player B a straight red and Player C is sent off after two yellows. The combined points are 10 + 25 + 35 = 70.
Do not add another 10 for Player C merely because two yellow cards were displayed if the rule specifies a total of 35 for that sequence. A separate market asking for the number of cards needs its own counting convention.
Which people and periods qualify?
Check whether cards to substitutes, players already substituted, coaches or other staff count. Also check the treatment of halftime, post-match incidents and extra time. A match report listing every disciplinary event can contain incidents outside the market.
For a named-player selection, a starting or participation condition can apply. A booking shown to someone who never played may appear in the match record without satisfying the accepted player market.
Threshold wording changes the result
A hypothetical over-40.5-points market requires at least 41 points, so a total of 40 loses and 45 wins. A whole-number line such as 40 can have a different push or tie rule. Read whether the selection is over, at least, exactly or a specified range.
For a card total, do not convert points back into a guessed card count. Different sequences can produce similar point totals, and red-card counting conventions may differ from the points schedule.
Keep the receipt and disciplinary sequence
For a query, identify the player, type of card, match minute and whether it was a second yellow or straight red. Ask which events were included and which were excluded. The final points calculation should be reconstructable from the stated rule.
Common questions
Is a second yellow always counted as three cards including the red?
No. A market can count that sequence differently. Read the card-count rule separately from booking points.
Do cards after the final whistle count?
That depends on the stated period and market. Do not assume that every card in the official report is included.
Sources and editorial notes
Official source material consulted for this edition. Operator examples are dated illustrations, not a guarantee of current terms or personal eligibility. Worked examples are hypothetical.
Published by eLand, Lda. See our editorial policy. Report a correction.