One of the most unusual incidents in the 2022/23 season occurred during the Benfica versus Sporting women’s match on Saturday 21 January, when the medics from both Lisbon teams received a white card from referee Catarina Campos, garnering international attention.
This is due to the fact that the brandishing by the referee of a card, which is typically used as a warning or punishment, was given this time for a noble cause: to recognise the professionals’ efforts in assisting a sick fan who was present in the stands during the Women’s Portuguese Cup match. The white card is considered a ‘Fair Play’ card.
Although the white card has been around for a while in Portugal, and for the time being only there, it has not made its way onto the global scene, and you will not find any bookmaker offering odds on the brandishing of the “white card” any time soon, even if those offering the most wide-ranging best online gambling deals.
The White Card
In 2018, the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) started supplying it for games played in the nation. The objective was to develop “a tool to recognise correct behaviour on the pitch, applying to players, coaches, and also fans.” The card had already been presented to the Vitória FC and Caldas medics in September of last year, who helped a supporter during a third-tier match. The same month, Benfica’s physiotherapist received the card after helping a Sporting player during a Futsal Super Cup match.
However, it was referee Catarina Campos’ gesture that ultimately caught everyone’s attention. This is due to the fact that the white card was shown during a national classic in front of 15,000 spectators, a Portuguese record for a women’s football game at the time. Some people even thought the medical team had been admonished in some way since they did not grasp the concept of the card.
The FPF did not, however, invent the use of the card. This honour goes to the National Plan for Ethics in Sport (PNED), which was developed in 2015 by the Portuguese Institute of Sport and Youth (IPDJ), an organization connected to the Portuguese government. The PNED suggests advancing moral principles amongst all sports. An annual ceremony is held to present the “White Card Awards”, which honour athletes and sports organisations for their outstanding fair play.
Not so popular
The white card is only currently a reality in football played in Portugal. Both the International Board, which oversees football laws, and the regulations of the top leagues and competitions around the world do not mention it. No plans exist to implement this concept anywhere else.
The only thing that comes close to this are competition rules that count fair play as one of the final tie-breaking factors. If two teams finished level on goal difference, goals scored, and head-to-head in the Qatar World Cup, for instance, a team with a lower yellow and red card rate would advance to the next round. Fair play, however, only pertains to the game in this instance; it does not apply to the supporters’ sentiments.
Former French footballer Michel Platini proposed introducing a white card a few years back, but with a very different function. He suggested its deployment when he was president of UEFA at the time, but like the yellow and red cards, it was also meant to serve as a warning. Players who protested to the officials in an obnoxious manner would be given a white card and forced to leave the game for ten minutes, according to Platini’s plan.
What does it mean for sports betting?
For now, nothing much. It will be very hard to see a bookie offering a market for white cards anytime soon, maybe ever, except maybe as a special bet. But don’t worry, not all is lost for sports betting fans worldwide, especially if you want to make the most of your betting strategy by finding the best gambling deals online.
That’s why today we want to point you towards a site so straightforward that it tells you what it offers right in the name: gambling-deals.com. You will find detailed and informative reviews of the most famous gambling services online (and a few niche ones too) allowing you to make informed decisions when choosing a service to add to your betting portfolio.
So, whether you like to use betting exchanges, casinos, or the good old sportsbooks, it is definitely worth checking them out while you wait for white cards to catch on. The white card policy was not particularly well-received outside Portugal and was not put into effect elsewhere, but then again, people rarely like change.
Who knows, maybe one day it will be commonplace and you will be able to create an account at a bookie, get your welcome bonus, and place bets on white cards. For now though, the white cards will stay solely in Portugal.
