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Football, Explained: Why Are Wingers Playing on the ‘Wrong’ Side?
Ever wondered why left-footed wingers are played on the right, and vice-versa? Dragon Football has the answer.
ReferenceFootball, Explained
Football, explained
The rules, jargon and small print of the game, answered in plain English and kept current. Ask a better question than "what does that mean" and we'll probably add it.
How many yellow cards before a suspension?
In the Premier League it works on rising thresholds with cut-off dates:
| Yellow cards | Window | Ban |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | Club's first 19 league games | 1 match |
| 10 | Up to and including matchweek 32 | 2 matches |
| 15 | Any point in the season | 3 matches |
Pass a cut-off without reaching the number and you're safe from that particular ban: a player on 4 bookings after 19 games can't be suspended for the 5-card threshold any more. Premier League bookings don't carry into the FA Cup or League Cup, and the count resets to zero every season (an unserved ban still carries over).
Who's actually close right now? The live suspension watch tracks every player within touching distance of a ban.
What is a release clause?
A figure written into a player's contract at which the club's hand is forced: bid that amount and the club must accept and let the player talk terms. In England they're optional, negotiated deal by deal, and often kept quiet or conditional (active only in certain windows, or if the club is relegated).
Spain is the different one. There, every player must have a buyout clause, and it's the player (funded by the buying club) who deposits the fee with the league to force the move. That's why Spanish clauses are public knowledge and English ones leak out through reporting.
Rumoured fees and clauses show up on our tracked rumour cards with the journalist who reported them.
What is a clean sheet?
Finishing a match without conceding. It's credited to the team and, informally, to the goalkeeper — the stat behind the Golden Glove. The Premier League career record is Petr Čech's 202, which sits in our record book alongside the rest of the all-time lists.
What is FFP?
Financial Fair Play: the umbrella term for rules limiting club losses. The Premier League's current version is PSR (Profitability and Sustainability Rules), a £105m loss cap over any three seasons, with squad-cost rules arriving alongside it. We keep a full explainer with the live numbers per club: PSR, explained properly.
Deeper dives
Commissioned long-reads that take one question and answer it properly. The full set lives in the Football, Explained series archive.
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Football, Explained: What is the record for most goals scored in a single season?
Which player has scored the most goals in a single season?
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Football, Explained: What Is Expected Goals (xG)?
For most of its existence, football has had a peculiar relationship with numbers. Thorough records were kept to track who scored, who…
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Football, Explained: What Is the Longest Penalty Shootout Ever Recorded?
Ever wondered what the longest penalty shootout ever recorded was? Dragon Football has you covered.
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Football, Explained: Why Are Transfers Paid In Instalments?
Ever wondered why football transfers are paid in instalments and never all at once? We've explained the process behind some of the…
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Football, Explained: What is the role of a False 9?
The false 9 is one of football's most under appreciated revelations, but what does the position actually mean?
Rules checked against the FA's player discipline guidance for 2025/26 and updated when the laws or thresholds change. Related reference: Premier League records, PSR explained, our methodology.