Penalty Refereeing and Cards

[gosya]

I don't want to focus on the actual penalty calls, some of which have been suspect.

Instead, I want to ask - is it a rule these days that a penalty call must be accompanied by a card to the player fouling?

As fas as I knew, a penalty is just a foul that occurs in the penalty area. A card, on the other hand, is shown for an eggregious or flagrant foul. However, it seems that any call in the box is accompanied by a card.

For example, today's penalty call in France-Italy did not deserve a read, in my opinion. Surely, it was a foul, but Abidal was clearly trying to get the ball, and I don't think the last-man-rule applies in such situation. So, sure it should have been a yellow, but red?

Furthermore, penalty call in Austria-Croatia was just a regular foul. I dont see how that was a foul worthy of yellow card?

And if it did become an unwritten rule at some point, then I don't see how it makes sense. The penalty is punishment enough, why award a mandatory card for a standard foul?

What are your thoughts/views?

[GrosMoulin]

I won't give my view on that, or i may not be very polite. :)

[Rainer24]

He was the last defender. Red card.

[blueguitar322]

He was the last defender. Red card.+1, this is my understanding as well.

[TheGrimSweeper]

He was the last defender. Red card.

That's the rule. No problem with the call today.

[guignol]

this is a long and ongoing debate. for many, outside the box, it's red. inside, the penalty and a yellow is punishment enough. giving both is almost like whistling the end of the game. and i'm not just saying this because it happened to france.

[Rainer24]

Yeah, it kind of destroys the game, but it is a judgment call and most refs are going to give red in that situation, so I don't think you can complain too much. France was still in with a shot until Henry's blunder.