Changes to Match Based Discipline Adult Football
Saturday Clubs and Sunday Clubs
Match based discipline as has been running at Steps 5, 6 and 7 and, in addition in the pilot Leagues last season (which included Cambridgeshire League, St Neots & District Sunday FL and the Bedford Sunday FL) now involves All Open Aged Football, including Sunday, Veterans and Womens Leagues.
With the system now affecting more players/clubs/leagues, there have also been some changes to the system which may affect your club. Below you will find a brief reminder of the system and a change to the reply form that is sent to the County FA. Should you have any queries with regards to these changes please do not hesitate to contact Valerie Bryant 01480 447481 or Mark Frost 01480 447480 at the Hunts FA or email info@huntsfa.com
(Note for he/his - also read she/her)
1. If a player is sent off for a standard sending off offence (and receives a one, two or three match suspension) playing for a Saturday team, he is only suspended for his Saturday team’s fixtures. This means he can continue to play for his Sunday side. If he is sent off playing for his Sunday Side, he is only suspended from his Sunday Side and can continue to play for his Saturday side.
2. However, if your player receives a Misconduct Charge, they will be suspended from ALL football. (misconduct charges are levied in addition to the standard sending off offences – ie a player is sent off for say: violent conduct – they will receive a standard charge which carries the suspension of 3 matches as above, if the player then abuses the referee, and/or refuses to leave the field of play, or commits any other further offence – they will receive a misconduct charge. The case will go before a Commission either as a correspondence hearing or if requested by a personal hearing).
Any punishment received from a misconduct charge is from ALL football.
Please remember most importantly…if you’re sent off…walk off!!
3. Qualifying matches to serve match suspensions are League Matches, FA Competitions, League Cup Matches and the clubs most Senior County Cup.
4. Players no longer need to sign the pro-forma for a Standard Charge (i.e. violent conduct, use of offensive and/or insulting and/or abusive language and/or gestures, etc.), as there is no appeal against Standard Charges. However, the club secretary must inform the player of his suspension and the Secretary is still required to sign and return the form.
5. Reminder: - for standard charges, the club secretary only has 7 days to return the paperwork to the office.
6. If a club/player/manager etc has a Misconduct charge raised against them, the personal hearing fee at Steps 5-7 has been reduced from £100 to £50. Clubs outside of the National League System the Personal Hearing fee has been increased from £25 to £30.
And finally, please remember to:-
• Check the club statement sent to you advising as to your players suspensions. If in doubt, please ask the County Office for clarification!
• Using the Charge acknowledgment form, Inform us of ALL clubs your player/s are registered with.
• Keep us informed of changes to suspensions by simply sending an email to Valerie.bryant@huntsfa.com
• IMPORTANT – when signing a new player – check if he/she is suspended for a number of matches or period of time, or Suspended Sine Die, not just by the Hunts FA but by any other County FA. The simplest method to check this is to go to:- http://www.huntsfa.com/Governance/Discipline/Suspensions/default.htm
NOTE:- change the search criteria from National Level to Players Name
you can check any player nationwide from here. If you enter their DOB it narrows the search result for you, remember there are hundreds of John Smiths!!
The FA Discipline Handbook is availabe via "Related Documents"
Mark Frost
County Secretary