Being on the receiving end of a red card in football can just be a nightmare that any player has to endure, for it truly leaves one’s team in quite a vulnerable position.
Sometimes, one could say it was warranted, a heroic block of an effort that seemed goal-bound or a tactical foul to break up a dangerous-looking counterattack. Still, there is a thin line between being heroic and that player whose impulsiveness just turns him into a liability.
The fastest red cards in football history usually represent those acts of madness which are extraordinary and have left fans, players, and coaches speechless.
Imagine how frustrating this must be for a coach to spend hours working out a game plan, only to see it break down in seconds because of some player’s impulsive mistake.
These quick dismissals are a mix of misjudged aggression, clumsy challenges, and in some cases unfortunate circumstances.
In this article, we look at the 10 fastest red cards ever recorded in football moments that range from shocking to downright comical.
- 1. Keith Gillespie (0 Seconds) – Sheffield United vs. Reading, 2007
- 2. Walter Boyd (0 Seconds) – Swansea City vs. Darlington, 2000
- 3. Lee Todd (2 Seconds) – Cross Park Farm vs. Taunton East Reach, 2000
- 4. Serge Djiehoua (3 Seconds) – AO Glyfadas vs. Olympiakos Volou, 2013
- 5. David Pratt (3 Seconds) – Chippenham Town vs. Bashley, 2008
- 6. Ze Carlos (7 Seconds) – Cruzeiro vs. Atletico Mineiro, 2009
- 7. Tomo Sugawara (9 Seconds) Tokyo Verdy vs. Sagan Tosu, 2009
- 8. Kaio Wilker (9 Seconds) – Botafogo vs. Treze, 2021
- 9. Giuseppe Lorenzo (10 Seconds) – Bologna vs. Parma, 1990
- 10. Kevin Pressman (13 Seconds) – Sheffield Wednesday vs. Wolves, 2000
1. Keith Gillespie (0 Seconds) – Sheffield United vs. Reading, 2007
One of football’s most surreal moments of madness belongs to Keith Gillespie in this Premier League fixture between Sheffield United and Reading for the fastest red card in history.
Gillespie had been brought on as a substitute, but before play could even resume, he lashed out at Stephen Hunt, catching the Reading player in the face with his forearm.
Immediately the linesman spotted the incident and Gillespie was given a straight red card without touching the ball in attack-technically sent off at zero seconds so to say.
To make matters worse, as Gillespie stormed off the pitch he made another attempt to confront Hunt again showing just how out of control his emotions were.
This infamous incident is still remembered today as a cautionary tale about the need for self-control, even when tensions are running high.
2. Walter Boyd (0 Seconds) – Swansea City vs. Darlington, 2000
Boyd managed the impossible feat of getting red-carded before he had even touched the ball. The former Jamaican international came on as a substitute in a third-tier encounter between Swansea City and Darlington.
A tussle between Boyd and a Darlington player erupted just before Swansea were about to take a freekick. Boyd in sheer frustration threw an elbow at his opponent right in front of the referee.
It was all over so quickly that the referee had no option but to wave a red card before a ball had been kicked let alone a game. It is a single and undistinguished honour, setting Boyd apart as one of the select few players to have been sent off without any actual involvement in the game whatsoever.
3. Lee Todd (2 Seconds) – Cross Park Farm vs. Taunton East Reach, 2000
Lee Todd holds the record for one of the fastest red cards in football history and this is arguably one of the weirdest dismissals ever, after being sent off within two seconds.
His send-off wasn’t an outcome of a reckless tackle or violent conduct; instead, an outburst that had stunned his teammates and the referee. The referee had barely blown the whistle to start the match when Todd, standing next to him, said, “F*** me, that was loud!
The referee wasn’t much amused with Todd’s choice of words, so he showed him a straight red card for foul and abusive language. Todd’s protest meant nothing, as he was out of the pitch just moments after the game started, leaving his team bewildered and a man down.
4. Serge Djiehoua (3 Seconds) – AO Glyfadas vs. Olympiakos Volou, 2013
One of the weirdest moments of Serge Djiehoua’s career was a red card. The Ivorian striker was on for Greek second-division side AO Glyfadas as a substitute. Three seconds later he was back on the sidelines.
What was the crime of Djiehoua? An errant arm accidentally hit an opponent’s face.
With quite literally no malice at all, he was deemed to be violent conduct and was sent off by the referee. His incredulous reaction—a near-comical mix of disbelief and laughter—summed up the farcical nature of his record-breaking early bath.
5. David Pratt (3 Seconds) – Chippenham Town vs. Bashley, 2008
David Pratt’s infamous three-second red card came during a non-league match between Chippenham Town and Bashley.
No sooner had the opening whistle blown than Pratt took a step forward and dived into a tackle on Chris Knowles. Out came the referee with the instant red card.
Pratt expressed discontent later over the decision, explaining that he believed the challenge didn’t merit a sending-off but he had to accept the will of the referee.
Whatever the case, his challenge went into the annals as one of the quickest dismissals in football history – something Pratt would no doubt like to forget.
6. Ze Carlos (7 Seconds) – Cruzeiro vs. Atletico Mineiro, 2009
Rivalries tend to bring out the worst in players, and this seven-second red card for Ze Carlos in a Brazilian Serie A match between Cruzeiro and Atletico Mineiro proved just that. Launching into the game, Ze Carlos was seen swinging an elbow into the face of Átlеtiсо’s Renаn Teixeirа.
Literally after seven seconds of play he was sent off, leaving the referee with no choice. The moment is all the more surreal because in a derby fixture-a match in which there’s so much at stake-Ze, Carlos chose to make this reckless decision. Suffice it to say, it wasn’t the start his team was looking for.
7. Tomo Sugawara (9 Seconds) Tokyo Verdy vs. Sagan Tosu, 2009
During a J-League 2 match between Tokyo Verdy and Sagan Tosu, Tomo Sugawara made an entry into the record books for all the wrong reasons by getting a red card in nine seconds of the match.
Right from kick-off, Sugawara erred as his misjudged pass left his team on the back foot. It was a desperate, patch-up attempt to make amends; he stuck an arm out to block his opponent’s run into the penalty box.
The referee saw this immediately as a denial of a clear goal-scoring opportunity, known in football terminology as a DOGSO, and forthwith showed Sugawara a straight red card. It has remained one of the fastest red cards in Japanese professional football history.
8. Kaio Wilker (9 Seconds) – Botafogo vs. Treze, 2021
The Kaio Wilker red card in the 2021 Copa do Nordeste was unforgettable for its speed much as it is audacious.
Playing against Treze, Wilker launched himself two-footed into the tackle moments after kick-off for Botafogo. The referee showed him a straight red without hesitation and Wilker was shell-shocked along with his team.
To say the least, it was a rash decision by Wilker and his team was pegged back throughout to go on and lose 1-0.
Such an aggressive start ensured his immediate dismissal but also reflected on Botafogo’s miserable season that eventually saw him released later that year.
9. Giuseppe Lorenzo (10 Seconds) – Bologna vs. Parma, 1990
Lorenzo’s red card incident came at a time when Serie A was one of the most competitive leagues in the world. Playing for Bologna in a match against Parma, Lorenzo was sent off within just 10 seconds of the match. The Italian forward had lashed out and struck an opponent, forcing the referee to send him off almost immediately.
Lorenzo’s red card was among the quickest in any Serie A encounter and put his team on the back foot for the rest of the game. The extent of talent he possessed, much of his other work on the pitch was overshadowed by this moment of madness.
10. Kevin Pressman (13 Seconds) – Sheffield Wednesday vs. Wolves, 2000
A 500-plus club appearance goalkeeper makes it in for that one red card in 13 seconds for Sheffield Wednesday.
In a match against the Wolves, Pressman was trying to clear a through ball with his hands outside his box; it resulted in an instant dismissal.
Pressman’s red card is the fastest for a goalkeeper in English league history, and an unwanted benchmark set by the keeper for other goalies who chose to play sweeper too aggressively.
His premature exit turned what was meant to be a routine clearance into an unforgettable and costly error
Other Fastest Red Cards in Football
- Mark Smith (19 seconds)
- Giulio Migliaccio (32 seconds)
- Jason Crowe (33 seconds)
- Steven Gerrard (38 seconds)
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