By The Numbers: Referees You Can Count On To Deliver Over/Under Bookings For Your Betting Tips

Remember the glory days when we were all hooked on Konami’s Winning Eleven/Pro Evolution Soccer (PES) on the PS2? This was way before FIFA took over as the go-to football game, and back then, PES was king. 

PES 6, in particular, was legendary. From Adriano’s rocket shots to Milan’s rock-solid defense, Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s unbeatable strength, and Marco Borriello’s signature “R2” finishes, that game had everything. 

But you know what always stood out to me? Referee Kazuki Ito. Man, that guy was something else. A fictional ref in PES 6, he was as strict as an Intro-Tech teacher! The moment you saw Kazuki Ito leading the players out of the tunnel, you knew it wasn’t business as usual—one mistimed tackle and boom, red card straight up.

That’s all fun and games, but you and I both know there are real-life refs who give fans serious anxiety. Take Michael Oliver, for example—Arsenal fans know exactly what I’m talking about. 

The English ref has basically become their bogeyman. Over his 15-year career, he’s reffed 63 Arsenal games and dished out 107 yellow cards and 8 reds to them—eight! And two of those red cards came this season alone, which a lot of Arsenal fans believe played a role in them missing out on the title. If you do the math, that's 1.8 bookings per game for Arsenal.

The koko is, when Arsenal fans see his name on the matchday list, it brings back the same fear we felt when you’d just made a tackle, and your friend asked you, “shey you know say na Kazuki be ref?” 

Now, for those looking for how to make money online, what if I told you there’s actually a way to do that just by knowing which ref is in charge of a game? You know, examine the stats, read the trends, and spot the patterns in how refs handle games. Let’s break it down: 

EPL Referees

In the Premier League, there are a few referees you definitely want to keep tabs on if you’re trying to spot patterns or looking to make smart bets. Chris Kavanagh and Michael Oliver are top of that list. 

Kavanagh is averaging 4.91 yellow cards per game this season. He has refereed 22 games and already handed out a massive 108 yellow cards (the most in the league) along with 5 reds. Michael Oliver (4.61 YC per game) isn’t far behind—he’s officiated 23 games with 106 yellow cards and a joint-league-high 6 red cards.

Another one to note is Simon Hooper. He’s refereed 22 games too, dishing out 106 yellows but just 2 reds, so he’s a little more lenient with sending players off. 

Then there’s Anthony Taylor—the most experienced ref in the league. He’s been around since 2010 and has officiated the most EPL games this season, with 28 so far. While he’s shown 5 reds (the same as Oliver), he’s only given out 85 yellow cards—about 3.04 per game. 

Instead of flashing cards all over the place to keep tempers in check, Taylor prefers a different approach: penalties. He’s awarded a league-high 9 spot kicks this season. You sef you know when dem give opponent penalty, your body go calm down.

And here’s a name flying under the radar—Robert Jones. Not as famous, but a goldmine for card stats in the online betting circle. Jones has reffed 30 games across the EPL, FA Cup, EFL Cup, Championship, and UEFA competitions, including two Champions League fixtures. In those games, he’s handed out 130 yellows, 6 reds, and awarded 7 penalties. 

Remember Arsenal’s 2-0 loss at Bournemouth earlier this season—Saliba got sent off, and they conceded a penalty too? Guess who was in charge that day? Yep. 

Bundesliga Referees 

Over in Germany, things get just as interesting with the men in the middle. Felix Zwayer is one ref the players don’t mind seeing. He’s reffed 15 Bundesliga games this season, handed out 65 yellow cards (4.33 per game), but hasn’t shown a single red. Zero. Nada. A chill ref, basically. (Or so we think. His name will pop up later)

Now, Martin Petersen? That’s a different story. He’s averaging 4.7 yellows per game and has already dished out 5 red cards—the joint-highest in the league. Players definitely don’t want to get on his bad side. The same goes for Robert Hartmann in terms of reds—he's also shown 5—but he’s a bit easier on the yellows, averaging just 3.46 per game.

Then there’s Daniel Siebert, the card king of the Bundesliga. He’s leading the league with 72 yellows, and while that’s partly because he’s reffed more games than anyone else (15), his average of 4.8 yellows per match puts him right in the same territory as someone like Chris Kavanagh in the EPL. Definitely one to watch if you're tracking card trends.

LaLiga Referees 

Over in Spain, the referees are pretty much a bunch of walking Kazuki Itos. While only four refs in the EPL have handed out 4 or more red cards this season, LaLiga is on a different vibe entirely—10 refs have already reached that mark. That’s not a typo. Ten.

Leading the pack is César Soto Grado, who’s shown 7 red cards and 97 yellows in 22 games. Then there’s Jesús Gil Manzano—don’t let the “Jesús” fool you, there’s nothing saintly about his whistle. He’s dished out 8 reds and leads the league in yellow cards with 99 in just 16 games—that’s a spicy 6.19 yellows per match. Fun fact, Jesús Gil Manzano has dished out 9 or more yellow cards in 5 different games this season, and in Las Palmas’ home draw with Osasuna in January, he handed out 14 yellow cards and 1 red card. 

Mateo Busquets Ferrer isn’t much better—he’s handed out 5 red cards and 96 yellows in 17 games, averaging 5.64 yellows per outing. Basically, no one is safe.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting—Alejandro Muñiz Ruiz and Miguel Ángel Ortiz Arias have sent off a combined 11 players (6 and 5 reds respectively), but they don’t go crazy with the yellows. Ruiz averages 3.7 yellows per game, and Arias is even lower at 3.6. So, if you’re looking at betting tips, take the under on cards when those two are in charge. 

As a matter of fact, referees are seen as the enemy by certain La Liga clubs to such an extent that this weekend’s Copa Del Rey Clasico Final was in some jeopardy on Friday. 

Serie A Referees

In Italy, the referees are actually pretty relaxed compared to their counterparts in other top leagues. Most of them hover around a mellow 3.4 yellow cards per game, so if you’re betting on card totals, the smart move is usually to go low.

Of course, there’s always that one guy who didn’t get the memo—Giovanni Ayroldi. This man is on his own wavelength. He’s averaging a wild 6.56 yellows per game, almost double the league average, and has already handed out 4 red cards. 

Champions League

Take a wild guess on who leads the Champions League in cards dished out? Just throw a name out there. If you said Michael Oliver…you’re right! And yes, I can already hear Arsenal fans screaming “Shey una dey see am now?!” from here.

Oliver’s been busy in Europe, handing out 43 yellow cards and 3 reds in just 9 UCL matches. The good news for Gunners everywhere is UEFA refs don’t take charge of games involving clubs from their own country, so if Arsenal makes it to the Champions League Final, there’s no need to dig up any “Oliver is against us” conspiracies. You’re safe. For now.

Now, remember Felix Zwayer from the Bundesliga? The ref who hadn’t sent off a single player domestically despite giving out 65 yellows? Well, he’s been unleashing his inner Kazuki Ito in the Champions League. He’s already dished out 4 red cards in Europe, with his yellow card average jumping from 4.33 in Germany to 5.17 in the UCL. 

Be like say UCL players stubborn pass Bundesliga players o

On the flip side, there are some chill guys too. Norway’s Espen Eskås has given out 29 yellows in 8 UCL games (that’s 3.63 per match), while the ultimate cool-headed ref has to be Davide Massa. The Italian has shown just 22 yellows across 9 games—a ridiculously low 2.44 per match. 

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