The
yellow card has a somewhat different meaning for
fencing than it does for
soccer.
In fencing, a
yellow card is an official
warning--not a "penalty" per se. The fencer who receives the
yellow card is not penalized in any way other than the receiving of the card. If the
fencer repeats that same offense (or any other offense that would warrant a
yellow card) during the same bout, he will then receive a
red card.
Yellow cards do not carry over from bout to bout.
Yellow cards are only given for the less serious offenses--others carry with them the penalty of
red card or
black card for the first offence, with no
yellow card given at all.
The most common things a
fencer can do to earn a
yellow card include falling down, weapons and equipment not working or conforming to regulations, turning his back on the
opponent, causing contact (
corps a corps) with the other fencer], and refusal to obey the
referee.
See the
Fencing Penalty Chart for more info.