# have one's name taken

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/have-ones-name-taken
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To receive a yellow card.

## Examples

- The referee had his name taken for that bad tackle.
- After the defender argued loudly with the official, he had his name taken and received a yellow card.
- The player knew he had his name taken for the reckless challenge, yet he continued to protest the referee's decision with visible frustration.

## Origin

From the practice in various sports of a referee recording a player's identity in a booklet upon the issuance of a yellow card. The formal notation of the individual serves as the official record of the caution.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.