For the first time, a referee introduced a ‘white-card’ during a women’s football match between Benfica and Sporting Lisbon in Portugal. Fans are used to seeing referees flashing the yellow and red cards to offending players. However, this was the first time when a white card was used in the game. The incident happened when someone on the bench in the dugouts reportedly felt ill at the end of the first-half. The referee brandished the white card to both medical teams who had rushed to the aid of the unwell fan in the stands in recognition of their ‘sportsmanship’.
The woman in question had complained of feeling ill during the early part of the match, which saw the medical camps unite to try and assist her. As per JOE reports, the white card is designed to show recognition to clubs for acts of fair play during a match, in a bid to ‘improve ethical value in the sport’.
