Learn English Through Football Podcast: Language of Red Cards

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In this week’s football-language podcast we focus on some language to describe red cards, including the phrases, ‘down to ten‘ and ‘sent off‘. We will also look at predictions from some of the upcoming Campions League games including PSG versus Barcelona. You can read the transcript below, read some teaching tips on how to use these materials, check out our glossary here, or browse all our previous posts and podcasts.

 

For Teachers ▸ how to use this episode in class

• • Vocabulary: Discuss any vocabulary students know about red cards in football (send off; expel; reduced to ten; sent to the stands; two yellows; direct red; seriously foul play)
  • Listening for gist (main idea): Ask the learners to pick out the names of the teams and players mentioned in the short report, as well as some of the language that has been previously discussed/introduced)
  • Listening for details (1): Pick out one of the sections from the listening and create a gap fill activity – maybe with language of red cards.  
  • Listening for details (2): Alternatively you could focus on connected language and blank out combinations of words)
  • Language for predictions: Look at the two games and practise some of the language of predictions here.
  • Share with other teachers how you are using these resources (vocabulary, listening, writing, etc.) on our teachers’ forum page

Hello

DF: You’re listening to the Learn English Through Football Podcast.

Hello everyone, hope you are all doing well. My name is Damian and I am one half of the Learn English through Football Podcast team and I am based here in a rainy London. It’s just me this week as the other member of the team, Damon, who is of course based in Tokyo, is unavailable for selection. And apologies again for the slight delay in the podcast – the beginning of term here in London is a busy time for teachers. Honestly, it has nothing to do with Tottenham’s terrible start to the season!

DF: So, what football have you watched recently? Did you see any of the Champions League matches? We looked at a phrase from the PSG 4-2 win at Manchester City during the week: to tear apart after the French side were three-up in the first half away at City. How about the amazing comeback by Real Madrid against Roma: They were 3-1 down with only ten minutes left but they still ran out 4-3 winners in a great come-from-behind-win. We should also mention the Norwegian side Viking who drew 3-3 with Bayern Munich – a wonderful result for the debutants in the Champions League (and that’s their first ever season in this competition); though they were helped a little by the sending off of Bayern’s Michael Olise – he received two yellow cards in a minute. And this is what we are going to talk about today on the show: the language of red cards.  

Stinger: You are listening to the Learn English through football podcast (in French from Canada)

Today’s Show

DF: Yes, you are listening to the Learn English through football podcast and that message was in French from Canada.

Right, so we mentioned Michael Olise’s red card for Bayern Munich against the Norwegian side  Viking in the Champions League this week. He received two yellow cards which meant he was then shown a red card and had to leave the field. And so on today’s show we are going to look at more language related to red cards. We will also try and predict a couple of big games this week from the Champions League: Bayern Munich hosting Arsenal and PSG taking on Barcelona in the Champions League; two amazing ties.

Stinger: You are listening to the Learn English through football podcast.

To be sent off/Was sent off

DF: OK, when we talk about red cards, the main verb used to describe these red card situations is to send off. Usually when it involves a player we use the passive form: to be sent off; the player was sent off by the referee though we often don’t use ‘the referee’ as it is understood who did the action. So, a referee can send off a player; while a player is sent off. And here’s an example from last week’s game between Manchester United and Tottenham:

• Rodrigo Bentancur was sent off for a headbutt after Luke Shaw pushed him. (Premier League)

So, Bentancur was shown a red card (by the referee) after headbutting a Manchester United player. Headbutting – this is using your head to hit someone and this is seen as violent play and is always punished with a red card. 

 

Down to Ten/Down to Nine

DF: Now another phrase connected to red cards is, ‘down to ten‘ or ‘down to nine’. OK, on Saturday in the Premier League there were three red cards in the five matches played including two in the game between Brentford and Liverpool. Liverpool won the game 2-1 but the game changed after Brentford player Yarmoliuk was sent off for headbutting a Liverpool player. Remember, this means he used his head in a violent action towards the Liverpool player. So, he received a ‘straight red‘ which means that the action was so serious that he had to leave the field of play. Another way of saying this is ‘direct red‘ – he received a direct red card. And here’s what Sky Sports said about the incident:

• Yehor Yarmoliuk was sent off just before half-time after the referee, John Brooks, went to the VAR monitor and saw “a headbutting action”. (Sky Sports)

This meant that Brentford had one player fewer than Liverpool and no longer had 11 players but instead now had only ten. So, we can then hear the phrase, ‘down to ten players‘ or ‘down to ten‘. Remarkably, they went down to nine after another one of their players received a second yellow card and this meant they now had two fewer players than Liverpool: they were down to nine players; down to nine. Again, here is what Sky Sports said about the incident:

• Brentford then finished the game with nine men when Vitaly Janelt got a second yellow card. (Sky Sports)

Let’s take a look at some more language that we see and hear with red cards. 

Referee

First of all, the referee ‘shows a card’ but they can also ‘produce a red card’; ‘issue a red card’ and ‘brandish a red card’ which is a nice way of saying show in a dramatic way. Another way to describe a referee showing a red card is ‘to give the player their marching orders’. So this means the player has to leave the pitch after this.

Player

So, a player ‘receives a red card’ or ‘gets a red card’. We can also hear, ‘they have been shown a red card’ and sometimes we can hear the expression, ‘to see red’ – the player saw red and this means the player was given a red card by the referee. 

Reasons

So, we have already mentioned the violent act of headbutting from the Liverpool game so this was violent conduct but there are other reasons a player receives a red card including, ‘serious foul play’; ‘denying a goalscoring opportunity’ and ‘dissent’ and this is when a player says something really bad to the referee; maybe something insulting. 

Stinger: You are listening to the Learn English through football podcast (from a German fan)

Predictions Review: Liverpool v Manchester City

Listen to our previous podcast on the language of predictions here.

DF: OK, let’s take a look back at our predictions from the big game last weekend when Manchester City travelled to Liverpool. I thought it would finish 1-1 but Damon felt that City would win it 1-0. It was 2-0 to City so Damon was right about them winning. In the other game we looked at, we both went for an Atlético Madrid victory over Manchester United and we were both 100% right as the Spanish side ran out 2-0 winners. Let’s see how we do this weekend. 

 

Stinger: You are listening to the Learn English through Football Podcast (from a Mexican fan)

Language Review

DF: Yes, that message was from a Mexican fan from when I was at the World Cup during the summer – wow, it seems so long ago. And yes, you are listening to the Learn English through football podcast. If you would like to send in a message like this we’d love to hear from you. Maybe mention your name, where you are from and which team you support. Or simply say, ‘you’re listening to the Learn English through football podcast’ in any language that you wish!

Right, so on today’s show we have looked at some language to describe red cards. We looked at phrases such as ‘see red’; ‘shown the red card’; ‘to be sent to the stands;’ given their marching orders’; ‘dismissed’ and of course, ‘to be sent off’. Can you think of any other words or phrases connected to these expressions?  And how would you say them in another language that you know? Drop us a line on our forum where we have a thread on today’s podcast and we think it’s a great place to share ideas and ask more football-language questions!

Contact

DF: And just a quick reminder that you can contact us with any questions you may have or suggestions for the show by emailing us at [email protected]. You can also find us on Facebook, Bluesky, Instagram and YouTube. And why not come along to our site, ‘Learn English through football.com’ and join our forum chat or explore our huge glossary of football language.

DF: One more thing, if you come along to our site and open this post, you’ll see some teaching ideas at the top of the page in which we suggest a few ways to possibly use these materials with your students or even when you’re learning by yourself. We also have a thread for teaching ideas on our forum so again come along and take a look and maybe share some of the ways that you might use these with your learners.

Goodbye

DF: OK, that’s it for this week. We looked back at language around red cards – I’m hoping my team Tottenham don’t get another red card this week against Coventry City ! We’ll see you all again soon with the shorter Weekly Football Phrase episode, in which, of course, we explain an expression from the weekend’s games. Until then, enjoy the football. Bye bye.

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