Unusually, there was no post-match press conference with Liverpool manager Arne Slot after a fiery Merseyside derby earlier this month.

The only Liverpool reaction came from captain Virgil van Dijk after Slot and his assistant Sipke Hulshoff were sent off in the last moments of the 2-2 draw — meaning they were not allowed to conduct post-game media activities.

Even more strangely, the next day the Premier League posted on their website on Thursday morning that Slot would be banned for two games “for using offensive, insulting, or abusive language” before removing it shortly afterwards. This was premature, given the Football Association (FA) deals with disciplinary matters.

The correct procedure is that the match referee, Michael Oliver in this case, reports the incident to the FA, who decide whether to issue a charge, a warning, a reminder of responsibilities, or no further action, depending on the seriousness and circumstances of the incident.

And that decision was announced today (Wednesday, February 26), with Slot handed a two-match touchline ban that will see him and assistant Hulshoff miss the upcoming games against Newcastle United and Southampton.

But what does a touchline ban actually mean, what will it prevent Slot from doing and what other sanctions can managers face? The Athletic explains…

Slot was sent off at Goodison Park on Wednesday evening (Carl Recine/Getty Images)

How do managers get suspended?

Managers, and any coaching staff in the technical area, can be shown yellow and red cards. If someone receives three yellow cards across fixtures, this leads to a one-game suspension; six bookings is a two-match ban; nine mean you are banned for three games, and for 12 individual bookings, you are charged with misconduct.

Red cards result in a one-match touchline ban which can be longer if violent conduct is involved. Stadium bans are the more severe form of punishment for misconduct.

As The Athletic’s Tim Spiers has previously written, Jose Mourinho’s stadium ban in 2015 is probably the most famous example: he was banned from the Bet365 Stadium for Chelsea’s game at Stoke City having confronted referee Jon Moss during a Chelsea defeat at West Ham United, refusing to leave the officials’ room after the match.

In Moss’ report of the incident, he stated: “At this point, Mr Mourinho became very aggressive and animated. He shouted that you f***ing referees are weak… (Arsene) Wenger is right about you… you are f***ing weak.”

Mourinho has had numerous brushes with football’s authorities during his career (John Walton/EMPICS/PA Images via Getty Images)

What can’t managers do when suspended?

Managers who receive a red card during a match cannot watch the rest of the match from the stands, return to the field of play or conduct media activities.

Touchline ban: For a standard touchline ban, the manager cannot be on the touchline before, during or after the match, and this includes participating in the team’s warm-up. Rules vary from country to country but in England (in both the men’s and women’s games) a manager suspended from the touchline has to sit in the directors’ box during the match. If there is no seat available or there is no official directors’ box, they must take up a spot in the stand which is not near the technical area or near opposition supporters.

‘Extended’ touchline ban: If an ‘extended’ touchline ban is in place, like the two games put forward and then amended by the Premier League, the manager cannot talk to their team from 30 minutes before the game to 30 minutes afterwards.

Stadium ban: When serving a stadium ban, the manager cannot enter the ground their team is playing at on the matchday, use any facilities on the site, or position themselves in any vicinity that gives a direct view of the pitch. This also involves no direct or indirect communication with any player or staff member from the club from kick-off to full-time.

What can they do?

Touchline ban:

• Give a pre-match team talk
• Be in the dressing room at half-time
• Discreetly pass on information for their assistants — to those in the dugout by phone or a ‘runner’
• Pre- and post-match media duties, not including touchline interviews

Managers are not able to do any of the above if they are serving an extended touchline ban or a stadium ban.

Managers can still conduct media duties when serving a touchline ban — with some restrictions (Owen Humphreys/PA Images via Getty Images)

What have managers said and done to get around it?

Bournemouth manager Adoni Iraola served a touchline ban on September 30 as his side beat Southampton 3-1.

In the pre-match press conference, he said: “For me, it’s disappointing but we cannot change it.

“I have received the explanation that, the yellow cards, we receive the same consideration as the players. We cannot appeal a yellow card, which is something that doesn’t happen in Spain, in Spain you can do it but here no.”

Punishment between players and managers differs in that players can pick up five yellow cards in their first 19 matches before they are suspended for a game. This is a cut-off; the next punishment is for 10 bookings across 32 games.

For both players and managers, yellow cards have no appeal system in the Premier League.

Mikel Arteta believes managers should be able to collect five yellow cards before facing a ban (Paul Ellis/AFP via Getty Images)

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said in October 2023, before his side faced Sheffield United: “We are always ‘playing’ as managers, so I don’t know why we get three yellows and the players can have five.”

“We are there every minute of every game. Some players are on the bench, and sometimes they are injured, but we are always there and we can only have three yellows. It’s not fair, no?”

Last season, the Spaniard was the most booked manager in the Premier League, alongside former Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi, with five cautions. So far in this campaign, though, Arteta has only been booked once.

Mourinho surely remains the most iconic manager when it comes to touchline bans. He hid in a laundry basket before a 2005 Champions League tie with Bayern Munich, arriving seven hours before kick-off to give a teamtalk to his Chelsea players.

Meanwhile, in October 2022, he watched from a coach in the San Siro car park as his Roma team beat Inter 2-1.

(Top photo: Carl Recine/Getty Images)