Changes have been made to how yellow cards shown to players will impact suspensions this season in different competitions.
Chester FC are plying their trade in the National League North this campaign – the sixth tier of English football and at step three of the pyramid.
The FA has sent a memo to clubs in step five and below of the system saying that yellow cards will only count towards suspensions in the competition they were issued in, Football in Bracknell has reported .
It means that cautions issued by matchday referees in the likes of the FA Cup and FA Trophy – which the Blues will be competing in this season – will only apply to those competitions and not have an impact on others, such as the league.
The memo said: “For the FA Cup, FA Trophy and FA Vase, the accumulation of yellow cards will be competition specific.
“This will operate similar to the Champions League and Europa League, where a player accumulates two yellow cards in the competition will miss the next game in that competition.
“The caution count will only apply up to and including the quarter-finals for each competition.
“Cautions received in these competitions will therefore not count in the caution tally for the 5/10/15 sanction process.
“It should be noted this regulation is for cautions only and dismissals remain unaffected.”
Chester enter the FA Cup at the second qualifying stage, with a game due to take place on Saturday, September 22.
They will join the FA Trophy later on this year at the third qualifying round with a match date pencilled in towards the end of November.
The FA has confirmed the competition specific suspensions apply in the Premier League, the EFL, the National League, the FA Cup, EFL Cup, and FA Trophy.
