Misconduct, Protests & Appeals

Cautions (Yellow Cards):

• A player shall be suspended one (1) match for every five (5) cautions received during regular season league matches.
• The accumulation of cautions shall not carry over into any post-season, playoff or championship matches.

Ejections (Red Cards):

Players and officials shall be suspended for misconduct as specified below and may be fined accordingly.

• One (1) match for players who are sent off for denying the opposing team a goal or an obvious goalscoring opportunity.
• At least one (1) match or an appropriate period of time for unsporting behaviour towards an opponent or a person other than a match official.
• At least one (1) match for officials who are sent off for dissent by word or action.
• At least one (1) match for deliberately receiving a yellow or red card in order to be suspended for an upcoming match and to ultimately have a clean record.
• At least two (2) matches for serious foul play.
• At least two (2) matches for provoking spectators at a match by any means.
• At least two (2) matches or a specific period and a possible fine for acting with obvious intent to cause a match official to make an incorrect decision or supporting his error of judgement and thereby causing him to make an incorrect decision.
• At least three (3) matches or an appropriate period of time and a possible fine for assault, e.g. elbowing, punching, kicking, biting, spitting, hitting, etc., an opponent or a person other than a match official.
• At least four (4) matches or an appropriate period of time and a possible fine for unsporting behaviour towards a match official.
• At least ten (10) matches or an appropriate period of time and a possible fine for intimidating or threatening a match official.
• At least fifteen (15) matches or an appropriate period of time and a possible fine for assaulting a match official, e.g. elbowing, punching, kicking, biting, spitting, hitting, etc.

Non-Appearance to a Match:

• A team, which fails to play a scheduled match, shall be penalized by losing the match 3:0 and fined $500. Additionally, the offending team shall be responsible for any referee fees.

Non-Appearance of Team Physio or Medical Person:

• A home team, which fails to have a physio or medical personnel present at a match shall be sanctioned as follows: 1st offense - warning; 2nd offense - $50 fine; 3rd and subsequent offenses - $100 fine for 3rd offense and then doubling of the fine for each subsequent offense.

Failure to Comply with Home Ground Standards:

• A home team, which fails to comply with home ground standards including, but not limited to, corner flags, team benches, and a sufficient number of match balls shall be sanctioned as follows: 1st offense - warning; 2nd offense - $50 fine; 3rd and subsequent offenses - $100 fine for 3rd offense and then doubling of the fine for each subsequent offense.

Use of Ineligible Player:

• A club which permits an ineligible player to take part in a match shall be penalized by losing the match 3:0 and fined $250. For the purposes of this rule, an ineligible player shall include, but not limited to, any player who plays under the registration of another player, a player who plays under a registration obtained by the falsification of player information, or a professional player improperly registered as an amateur. Additionally, the ineligible player and the coach of the club that played the ineligible player may be suspended and/or fined.

Causing a Match to be Broken Off:

• A team which causes a match to be broken off and not completed through the conduct of its player(s), team official(s) and/or spectator(s) shall be penalized by losing the match 3:0 or the score at the time the match was broken off, whichever is higher, and fined $250. Additionally, the individual(s) responsible may be sanctioned in accordance with these rules, if applicable.
• If both teams are responsible for the match being broken off, both teams may be fined and neither team awarded points from the match.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Arbiter & Arbitration Committee:

• Any sanction resulting in a player suspension of three or less matches or a player or a club sanction of less than a $250 fine shall be handled by the Arbiter.
• The Arbiter is appointed by the Executive Board and shall not be a member of any club of the League.
• Any sanction resulting in a player suspension of more than three matches or a club sanction of more than a $250 fine shall be handled by the Arbitration Committee. The Arbitration Committee shall also serve as an Appeals Committee of any decision of the Arbiter.
• The Arbitration Committee shall consist of representatives from each of the conferences, but representatives of the conferences of the team(s) involved in the arbitration shall not participate.
• In those circumstances where the Arbitration Committee renders an initial decision, an appeal may be filed with the League Executive Board. In those circumstances where the Arbitration Committee acts as an Appeals Committee for a decision of the Arbiter, an appeal may be filed with USASA.

Protests & Appeals:

• A team wishing to protest a match, must file a protest within 48 hours of the match. The protest may be filed by mail or email, with the opposing team copied. The cost of filing a protest is $100. Depending on the nature of the protest, the matter will either be sent to the Arbiter or Arbitration Committee.
• For matters concerning ineligble players, if known, or field conditions, the protest must be given at the presentment of match day rosters. For matters concerning the match itself, the protest must be given after the match is completed and before the referee and opposing team leave the pitch. The protest must describe the grounds of the protest and enough detail to identify the basis for the protest and error claimed to have occured. Any protest not filed in accordance with these rules will be denied.
• An appeal of a decision of the Arbiter or Arbitration Committee must be filed within 48 hours of the publication of the decision. The appeal may be filed by mail or email. The cost of filing an appeal is $250, which shall be refunded if the appeal is upheld.