What is indicated by a yellow card shown to a player?

A yellow card serves as an official caution issued by the referee, indicating that a player has committed an offense, typically related to unsporting behavior. This could include actions such as dissent, delaying the restart of play, or entering the field of play without permission. The yellow card acts as a warning to the player that they need to modify their behavior to avoid further sanctions.

Receiving a yellow card does not automatically result in expulsion from the match; rather, it is a way to manage players' conduct. If a player accumulates multiple yellow cards in a match or receives a second yellow card, that player will then be shown a red card, which entails their ejection from the game. However, the yellow card itself is simply a caution, rather than a direct punishment or decision affecting the game's outcome immediately, nor does it grant any advantage to the opposing team like a free kick would as a direct consequence of the yellow card showing.