BBC Sport's Ask Me Anything team look at why footballers are booked for taking their shirt and explore the laws of the game.
Liverpool forward Hugo Ekitike received a second yellow card for removing his shirt after scoring the winner against Southampton in a 2-1 Carabao Cup victory.
The International Football Association Board (Ifab), the body responsible for determining the laws of the game, law 12.4 says players must be cautioned if they remove their shirt, or they cover their head with the shirt.
Ifab say players can celebrate when a goal is scored, but it must not be excessive. Choreographed celebrations are not encouraged and cannot cause excessive time-wasting.
The law is designed to prevent:
- Players from provoking the opposing team and fans
- Display of political messages
- Time-wasting
- Players from covering the club's sponsors
Why was the law brought in?
The offence was introduced in 2004, mainly because exposing the torso is offensive in some cultures.
Manchester United's Diego Forlan infamously removed his shirt after scoring a goal against Southampton in 2002-03, but his jersey got caught on his vest and he could not get his shirt back on. The game restarted with the Uruguayan topless.
Since the law was brought in, there have been a number of high-profile incidents where players have removed their shirts and been cautioned.
Amad Diallo was sent off after scoring a late winner for Manchester United against Liverpool in 2024.
Demarai Gray was booked for removing his jersey to pay tribute to Leicester City's owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, who died in a helicopter crash.
Mario Balotelli was cautioned for unveiling his 'why always me' shirt at Old Trafford and also for celebrating topless against Germany at Euro 2012.
Vincent Aboubakar was also sent off for Cameroon after scoring a stoppage time winner against Brazil at the 2022 World Cup.
What do fans think?
Amir in Cardiff:I know what Ekitike did was really daft but let's not treat this like an act of serious foul play. We have Isak and Chiesa and his absence will be short lived.
Harry: The guy just over-celebrated against a Championship side, he hardly did a Balotelli in front of the away fans.
Andy in Gloucestershire: Remember that yellow card Declan Rice got? Widescale condemnations, he knew he was on a yellow card, the red card was inevitable. What is the difference here? The rules are clear.
James: Is it time to introduce 'technical' yellow cards? The number of ways players can get booked (taking a free kick too quickly), it seems unreasonable.
Martin: Surely a second yellow for non-dangerous behaviour could result in a sending off, but not a ban? It punishes the offence within its context, but doesn't penalise where the deterrent or educational impact of the sentence is unnecessary.
This article is the latest from BBC Sport's Ask Me Anything team.
What is Ask Me Anything?
Ask Me Anything is a service dedicated to answering your questions.
We want to reward your time by telling you things you do not know and reminding you of things you do.
The team will find out everything you need to know and be able to call upon a network of contacts including our experts and pundits.
We will be answering your questions from the heart of the BBC Sport newsroom, and going behind the scenes at some of the world's biggest sporting events.
Our coverage will span the BBC Sport website, app, social media and YouTube accounts, plus BBC TV and radio.
More questions answered...
- Is Ekitike suspended for Liverpool this weekend?
- When is the EFL Cup fourth-round draw?
- What are Chelsea's 74 charges and how could they be punished?
- Why are there Europa League games on Wednesday?
Category: General Sports
