Pickford was given a straight red card in injury time at Vale Park after bringing down Chris Birchall in the box when the Valiants substitute was through on goal.
Michael O'Connor scored the resulting penalty as Vale snatched a 2-2 draw from a game that City had twice taken the lead in.
Should, as expected, the red card for Pickford go down as 'denying a goal or goalscoring opportunity', this sort of dismissal normally carries an automatic one-match ban.
Pickford will be in line for a two-match ban, however, given the fact that it will be second red card of the season following his dismissal in similar circumstances at home to Rochdale last month.
Despite the extra game ban for Pickford though, the Bantams shot-stopper is still only set to miss one extra match then he was originally scheduled to do so anyway.
Given that the second of Pickford's two-match ban is set to be City's F.A Cup Fifth Round tie at home to Sunderland, the loanee custodian was already in line to miss the tie to begin with due to the fact that the Black Cats are his parent club.
The first of Pickford's two-game ban is scheduled to be this Monday's televised home fixture against Milton Keynes Dons, with Ben Williams expected to line up in goal in his place.