Referees have handed out 19 yellow cards for dissent in the Women's Super League this season - almost DOUBLE last season's total - after officials were given stricter guidelines to punish bad behaviour

The Women’s Super League has seen a huge spike in yellow cards for dissent with 19 bookings handed out by referees - nearly double the amount given by officials last season.

Match officials were given stricter guidelines for punishing bad behaviour ahead of the new campaign, with players and clubs briefed on the changes during pre-season.

Players can be disciplined for confronting officials, showing disrespect or invading a referee’s personal space – though no yellow cards have been shown for the latter offence.

There were only 10 cautions for dissent last season but the new rules have seen referees hand out as many as 19 bookings after just seven rounds of fixtures.

Manchester City have received the most yellow cards for dissent with five in seven games. Four of those came in their 1-1 draw with Chelsea, where Alex Greenwood was controversially sent off.

City boss Gareth Taylor was also booked for dissent in the same match. Taylor then criticised the consistency in applying the new rules after his side’s 2-1 defeat by Arsenal, with the manager believing his opposite number Jonas Eidevall should have been booked confronting the fourth official.

Taylor went as far as claiming Eidevall had ‘bullied’ official Melissa Burgin. ‘That is always the same with him because he is constantly at the fourth official and I think it is bullying,’ Taylor said after the game.

‘I am protecting the fourth official but that's not my job.' Eidevall was not booked and later hit back at Taylor’s comments.

‘I was really disappointed with the comments, there is no truth in them,’ Eidevall said.

‘The wording that Gareth used afterwards is borderline slander. Either he is not very good with the truth or he is not very good with the language.

‘I don’t think his comments are acceptable and I would expect him to reach out with an apology but I’m not sure if that’s going to happen.’

Everton have the second highest number of bookings for dissent with three, while Arsenal and Manchester United have two. Liverpool are the only club not to have received any yellow cards for disciplinary issues this season.