Ken Aston

Ken Aston was an English football referee and administrator who introduced the yellow and red card system for signaling disciplinary decisions.

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Rudolf Kreitlein: A German football referee who officiated the controversial 1966 World Cup quarter-final between England and Argentina. Aston’s response to confusion during Kreitlein’s match helped inspire visible disciplinary signals.
1966 FIFA World Cup quarter-final between England and Argentina: A 1966 World Cup match in which referee Rudolf Kreitlein sent off Argentina captain Antonio Rattín. Language barriers and uncertainty over the decision helped Aston see the need for unmistakable signals.
Association football laws: The rules governing how association football matches are played and officiated. The Laws of the Game define the cautions and dismissals that Aston’s cards communicate.
Football referee: An official who applies the rules and controls play in a football match. Aston’s invention changed how referees communicate sanctions to players, officials, and spectators.
Stanley Rous: An English football administrator who served as FIFA president from 1961 to 1974. As FIFA president, Rous led the organization that adopted Aston’s card system.
Antonio Rattín: An Argentine footballer who was sent off against England in the 1966 World Cup quarter-final. The confusion surrounding his dismissal became part of the problem Aston sought to prevent.
Caution (association football): A formal disciplinary warning issued by a referee to a player or team official. The yellow card provides a visible signal that a caution has been given.
Discipline in association football: The system of cautions and dismissals used to penalize misconduct in football. Cards made disciplinary decisions easier to see and record.
FIFA: The international governing body of association football, founded in 1904. FIFA’s acceptance turned Aston’s proposal into an international rule.
Traffic light: A signaling device that uses colored lights to regulate road traffic. Aston drew on the instantly recognizable red-and-yellow color convention for his proposal.