The purpose of the Procedure and Guidelines is to deal promptly with misconduct, reduce the number of offences by illustrating to the club membership the seriousness with which the Club Committee view discipline and to reduce the administration work involved.
All cases of misconduct, both bookings and sending offs and in some cases Sin Bins, will be dealt within 72 hours of a game in which the incident took place in accordance with the Clubs Disciplinary Procedure.
Disciplinary Procedure
All misconduct cases, both bookings and sending off and in extreme cases of more than three sin bins, will be dealt with under this procedure.
1) Any booking or sending off recorded by the Referee in any game MUST be reported by the Team Manager/Captain to the Disciplinary Committee Chairperson (or Club Secretary) within 24 hours of the end of the game.
2) The Disciplinary Committee shall consider the circumstances and decide whether to impose an immediate ban or wait until the Referee’s report on the incident has been received from the AFA (or other County FA if applicable)
3) Once the report has been considered the Disciplinary Committee shall impose any additional fine and/or suspension, in addition to that imposed by the AFA, as deemed required and in line with the Club’s standard scale of additional fines and suspensions.
4) Fines and suspensions imposed under this procedure, whether under the standard scale or whether a higher level is decided by the Disciplinary Committee, may be higher than, longer than or over and above any fine or suspension imposed by the AFA (or County FA)
5) Any player wishing to appeal against the standard Club fine or suspension being imposed, or who wishes to appeal against the incident generally, MUST inform the Club Secretary or Disciplinary Chairperson of his wish to appeal.
6) A disciplinary appeal meeting will be arranged, within a reasonable timescale and the Appeal Board will consist of the following: Club Chairperson, Club Captain and a member of the Disciplinary Committee. Or other Club Committee member, in place of one of the fore-named, nominated by the Club Chairperson. Apart from the player his team Manager/Captain will also be required to attend.
7) The meeting will take the following format:
i) The Team Manager/Captain will give their accounts of the incident.
Ii) The offending player will then be asked to give his version of the incident.
Iii) The appeal board will further discuss the incident and reach their decision.
Iv) The offending player will be advised of the Club Disciplinary Appeal Board decision and any final observations will be made.
NOTE: for items i) and iii) above the offending player will not be present. All the above proceedings shall be dealt with verbally, and minutes taken, unless any member involved wish to submit written reports.
8) The offending player shall have the right of appeal to the full Club Committee if they are dissatisfied with the Disciplinary Appeal Board. The appeal must be lodged with the Club Secretary within 48 hrs.
9) Any offending player who does not pay the Club, when required, any fine imposed upon him either by the AFA (or County FA) or additional fine under this procedure by the Club SHALL NOT PLAY for the club again until such fine is fully paid, or as agreed with the Club Treasurer.
10) The scale of Club fines and suspensions shall be reviewed annually and agreed at the Club AGM, though may be varied by the Club Disciplinary Committee if required.
11) The Club Disciplinary Committee Chairperson shall inform the Club Treasurer of any decision where a Club fine is imposed, and the Club Treasurer shall ensure that the fine is paid.
12) The Club Disciplinary Committee shall advise the main Club Committee of all decisions made under this procedure in order that the action be ratified, if agreed with by the Club Committee.
Disciplinary Guidelines with regards to sin bins, bookings and sending-offs in any one season
SIN BINS. All need to be reported by Team Manager/Captain
1st Sin BIn – No action
2nd Sin Bin – Verbal Warning from Disciplinary Committee (Recorded)
3rd Sin Bin – I game ban and a written warning about future conduct.
4th or more Sin Bins – Extended ban and possible fine at the discretion of the Disciplinary Committee.
BOOKINGS.
For a first booking the standard AFA (or County FA) fine will be deemed sufficient plus a Club £3 admin charge.
Where a player receives a second booking within a season then a formal written warning will be issued to the player. A 1 game ban and a Club £3 admin charge will be imposed alongside any AFA suspension and fine
For three or more bookings within a season then a formal disciplinary meeting will be convened and the points 2) to 8) of the Disciplinary Procedure will apply. An additional supension and Club admin charge could be imposed alongside any AFA suspension and fine.
SENDING OFF.
All sending off’s will be discussed by the Club Disciplinary Committee and again points 2) to 8) of the Disciplinary Procedure will apply.
Where a player receives more than one sending off in any one season then the Disciplinary Committee will meet and discuss possible additional actions against that player, points 2) to 8) of the Disciplinary Procedure will apply. A players overall disciplinary record will also be considered. In extreme cases this could result in exclusion from the Club.
1st sending off in any one season…..standard AFA suspension plus a £5 Club admin charge.
2nd sending off in any one season….Standard AFA suspension plus an additional 1 game ban and Club admin chages of £10.
For any sending off the Club suspension can be increased at the discretion of the Club Disciplinary Committee depending upon the serverity of the AFA report.
3rd sending off in any one season….standard AFA suspension and fine. A club ban for the remaining games that season could be imposed, or an alternative ban/fine be imposed at the discretion of the Club Disciplinary Committee.
FUTURE CONDUCT.
All players disciplinary records will be reviewed at the end of each season and the Club Disciplinary Committee will make recommendations to the Main Club Committee as to whether any player should have their Club Membership withdrawn or continued for the next season.
Any final decision on whether a players Club Membership is withdrawn will be made by the Main Club Committee.
Club Disciplinary Committee
The Club Disciplinary Committee wil be made up of the following members from the Main Club Committee:
Club Secretary, Club Vice Chairperson and the Selection Committee Chairperson.
Review of Disciplinary Procedure and Guidelines
A review of the the Club Disciplinary Procedure and Guidelines will be undertaken at the first meeting of the newly elected Club Management committee after the AGM.