What are Booking Points and How do they Work?: Booking Points Betting Explained

Booking points have become extremely popular in recent times but can be a touch confusing at times, especially if you don’t know what's going on with them.

So you can get involved with this as well, we have created this guide explaining exactly what booking points are, how they work, how best to use them and which are the best betting sites to use when betting on them.

What are booking points?

Booking points are essentially a method of showing how many cards are given in a game, both yellow and red.

This can allow betting on this because a numerical value is attributed to bookings and sending off in the game.

Bookmakers will set a certain amount of points, called a line. They will then provide betting options for the booking points in the game to either be above or below the line, normally offering odds of just below evens for either.

Bettors will then need to predict if this will be over or under the line if they choose to bet on this market. This can be done either for the match or for a specific team.

How many points is a Yellow Card worth?

In a match yellow cards are worth 10 points. This counts for all players on the pitch.

However, in a new advent where players who are off the pitch can now be carded, these will not count for booking points.

How many points is a Red Card worth?

Red cards are worth 25 points. This is for a straight red. For a double booking, and as such a red card, is worth 35 points on the other hand.

This is because the first yellow and the eventual red count (10 + 25 = 35). These again only count for players on the pitch.

How to best use booking points

Booking points can be a great way to bet on a football match, either as a single or to add to a bet builder, as they oftentimes are provided at odds of just below evens.

This selection can help to raise the odds of a single-match bet builder considerably, so it is always worth keeping an eye out for.

Best matches for booking points

Another way that players can make the best use of their booking points, is to carefully consider and research the game and the sides in question.

By looking into the stats and data of each side players can gain an inkling of how many cards each side receives per game, and then make their decision based off of this.

Derby matches are also always a good idea to look out for as well as the crowd and the occasion can often lead to a fiery match with a lot of cards either way.

Be this the Merseyside derby between Everton and Liverpool or the Old Firm between Celtic and Ranger, these are usually booking heavy games, with even the possibility of a red card.

The teams playing and the occasion are important factors for booking points, so it's a good idea to do a bit of research and have a look around before placing these bets.

Pros and Cons of Booking Points

Booking points are perhaps a dying art in the betting landscape, but one cannot overstate just how valuable these lines can prove to bettors, alongside the entertaining dynamic they can bring to any football game.

Instead of only focusing on perhaps the result or shots on target aspect of the match players are tuned into the more combative and oftentimes entertaining part of fouls and infringements.

This can serve to keep players well interested, well beyond the scoreline, which is particularly good in one-sided clashes when the result may be a given early on.

In addition to this 90-minute-long entertainment factor, there is also the fact that the red cards count for a lot more when it comes to booking points compared to just regular card markets.

In these normal card markets, sending offs count will only add one to the tally, two if it is a double booking. But in booking points, they count for a massive 25 points.

This would make a truly huge dent in any booking point line available, and help bettors out massively.

The only issue that can be found is that most bookmakers will only offer one line for booking points, whereas variable lines can be found for most pure card markets.

This can pen players in slightly, but isn’t the worst thing in the world, as the line will always be extremely competitive in relation to the particular match, and well within reach.

Booking Points FAQs

What are booking points?

Booking points are just another way to account for the yellow and red cards given within a match of football for betting purposes, with overs and unders being able to bet on the line provided by the bookmaker.

How many cards is 10 booking points?

10 booking points is equal to one yellow card, whilst 25 booking points is equal to one red card.

Does a double booking and a red count as three cards?

No, sadly not, a double booking and a red card count as two cards or 35 booking points, with the red replacing the second yellow in terms of points awarded.

How many cards is 40 booking points?

So, 40 booking points is four yellow cards, this can be for both sides or just one, whereas if the number of points ends in a 5 then a red card has been given in the match.