Real Madrid continues to be one of the least penalized teams in LaLiga, a trend that remains consistent each season. Currently, they rank as the sixth-least carded team in the league during the early rounds of the season. However, what's grabbing attention isn't the number of cards received, but the reason behind them.

So far, Real Madrid has received 12 yellow cards, including one direct red shown to Ferland Mendy in the opening match against Mallorca. Surprisingly, half of these cards — six in total — have been issued for protests against the referee. This makes Real Madrid the most penalized team in LaLiga for dissent this season.

Players like Dani Carvajal (against Las Palmas and Real Betis), Vinícius Jr. (also against Betis and Espanyol), Kylian Mbappé, and Jude Bellingham have been among those booked for dissent.

Comparison with Last Season

The difference compared to last season is striking. In the 2023-24 campaign, Real Madrid received a total of 72 yellow cards, with only 14 of those given for protesting, which represented 19% of their total bookings. This season, however, that figure has jumped to 45%. The team has gone from receiving one yellow card for dissent every three games to nearly one per match this season.

By this point last year, Real Madrid had been shown 10 yellow cards, just two fewer than their current tally, but with only two of those for protesting. In comparison, Valladolid is the second-most penalized team for dissent this season, with five cards, while last season Getafe and Sevilla led the way with 22 cards each.

New Rules for Protests: The Role of Team Captains

This season, the Referees' Technical Committee (CTA) introduced new rules stating that only team captains are allowed to approach referees for explanations regarding key decisions, such as penalty calls, red cards, or disallowed goals. The purpose of this rule is to prevent multiple players from surrounding the referee and creating disorder on the pitch.

However, players who are not captains are still allowed to approach the referee in certain cases, such as when questioning a yellow card or disputing a foul that wasn’t given.

Impact on Yellow Cards for Protests

Although the new rules aim to limit interactions with referees, the number of yellow cards issued for protests has increased slightly this season. Compared to last year, the percentage of cards issued for dissent has risen from 14% to 16%. Interestingly, the average number of yellow cards per match has dropped from five last season to 4.5 this season.

While there is a small uptick in dissent-related bookings, the increase is subtle. It will take more time to determine if the CTA’s new rules will have a significant long-term impact on how players interact with referees during games.