UCL Academicals - Discipline Code (June 2005)

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SCALE OF FINES/SUSPENSION APPLICABLE

Under Paragraph (j) - (These do not include any fines imposed by the AFA unless otherwise stated). These penalties shall be imposed regardless of whether the case concerned is reported to the AFA.

Fines will be levied according to the number of disciplinary points accrued by the player under the AFA Disciplinary points system:

a)      First or second Caution in a season, Sendings Off carrying two disciplinary points (e.g. for two cautionable offences, for preventing an obvious goal-scoring opportunity):-

£10 fine paid immediately after the game (if a caution is processed by the AFA, the £8 fee is paid out of the £10). An extra £5 shall be fined for dissent.

b)      Third or further cautions in a season:-

£20 fine paid immediately after the game (if a caution is processed by the AFA, the £8 fee is paid out of the £20). An extra £5 shall be fined for dissent.

Note that a fifth caution also receives an automatic 7-day ban from the AFA.

c)      Sendings Off carrying two disciplinary points (e.g. for two cautionable offences, for preventing an obvious goal-scoring opportunity):-

£10 fine to be paid immediately after the game in addition to any AFA ban/fine (typically 7 days/£15).

d)      Offences carrying three disciplinary points (e.g. Attempting to Kick or Strike another Player, Serious Foul Play):-

£20 fine paid immediately after the game in addition to any AFA ban/fine (typically 21 days/£15).

e)      Offences carrying four disciplinary points (e.g. Kicking or Striking another Player, Head to Head Contact, Use of Offensive Language or Gestures directed at a match official):-

      £20 fine paid immediately after the game plus a two game Suspension.

f)       Offences carrying five or more disciplinary points (e.g. Violent Head to Head butting, Refusing to give name or giving a false name to the Referee when ordered to do so, Refusing to leave the Field of Play when ordered to do so, causing a match to be abandoned, Threatening Match Officials), or any second offence carrying four disciplinary points, or any person found guilty of serious misconduct:-     

£25 fine plus an immediate Sine Die Suspension (at least until the end of the season, case to be reviewed at the AGM).

PROCEDURE

a)      All misconduct cases, both "bookings" and "sendings-off," will be dealt with under this procedure.

b)      The Team Captain MUST report any booking or sending off recorded by the referee in any game to the Club Chairman immediately after the game.

c)      The Club Chairman shall decide within three days whether to impose a fine or suspension on the player in accordance with the scale of fines and suspensions as set down by the Club Committee (except for immediate fines, which should be collected after the match). If necessary the Club Chairman will consult with the Team Captain, or any other Officer of the Club, to assess the level of fine or suspension.

d)      Any player wishing to appeal against the standard fine or suspension being imposed, or who wishes to appeal against the incident generally, MUST inform the Club Chairman of his wish to appeal within three days of the imposition of the fine or suspension.

e)      Where an appeal is requested the Club Chairman shall immediately appoint an Appeal Board to consider the case.

f)       The appointed Appeal Board shall consider the circumstances and decide whether to hold the full Appeal hearing immediately or whether to delay the Appeal Hearing until the referees report on the incident has been received from the AFA.

g)      Fines or suspensions imposed under this procedure, whether under the standard scale or whether decided by an Appeal Board, may be higher than, longer than or over and above any suspension or fine imposed by the AFA.

h)      An offending player who does not pay to the Club, when required, any fine imposed upon him either by the AFA or under this procedure shall not play for the Club again until such fine is fully paid.

i)        The Club Committee shall from time to time review the scale of suspensions and fines that shall be enforceable by the Club under these guidelines.

j)        The Club Chairman shall advise the Club Committee of all decisions made under this procedure in order that the action be ratified, if agreed with by the Club Committee.

DISCIPLINARY APPEAL BOARD

The Disciplinary Appeal Board shall consist of three members of the Club, being:

a)      The Club Chairman, who shall chair all meetings of the Appeal Board.

b)      Two other members of the Club Committee at the Club Chairman's discretion.

One of the three members present at each meeting MUST have been playing in or present at the match in which the offence took place, being the Captain on the day.

OPERATION

a)      The Board will deal with all offences referred to it by the Club Chairman.

b)      The Board will meet at the first available opportunity following the offence, although in some cases it may be advisable to wait for the receipt of the referee's report from the AFA. The Team Captain will advise the player to make himself available for the meeting.

c)      The meeting will take the following form:

            i)          The Captain on the day and the other player will give their accounts of the incident to the Board, who will discuss the incident in private.

            ii)         The offending player will then be invited before the Board to give his version of the incident, if he so wishes.

            iii)         The Board will further discuss the incident and reach their decision.

            iv)        The offending player will be advised of the Board decision, and any final observations will be made.

            The offending player will not be present at (i) and (iii). All the above proceedings shall be dealt with verbally, unless any of the members involved wish to submit written reports.

d)      The offending player will have the right of appeal to the Club Committee if he is dissatisfied with the Board's handling of the case.