Power 22 Player – Assault on Match Official

In mid-November the Yau Yee League Disciplinary Sub-committee (DSC) conducted a hearing to review a red card report from the referee of the match between Scorpions and Power 22 on 5 November, in which the referee described an assault on him by a Power 22 player.

Briefly, the referee reported that the player, who was at the time sitting injured on the side-lines, having just walked off the pitch, had thrown a plastic bottle that had hit the referee in the leg, in reaction to receiving a yellow card following an exchange of words with the assistant referee.

Following the hearing, the DSC imposed the minimum penalty under Disciplinary Guideline 7 for an assault on a match official, namely a three-year ban and an additional fine of $1,000 on the Power 22 player.

Power 22 subsequently appealed the penalty, and the DSC heard the appeal on 4 December.

Having heard further evidence from the player (who did not attend the original hearing) and the management of Power 22, the DSC agreed to reduce the original ban to two years. Furthermore, it was agreed that with effect from the first match of next season, this penalty would be suspended.

The player in question is therefore banned from playing in the Yau Yee League for two years with effect from 5 November 2006 to 4 November 2008. However, this penalty is suspended with effect from the first match of the 2007-08 season, meaning that he will be eligible to play from that time onwards.

However, should the player receive a red card for violent conduct at any time between the start of next season and 4 November 2008, the full term of the original ban will apply, and the League may also take further action against him.

The original fines imposed by the DSC, namely $500 for the red card and $1,000 for the assault still stand, as do the 3 disciplinary points for the red card.

In reaching its decision to reduce the initial penalty on appeal, the DSC had regard to Power 22’s good disciplinary record in previous seasons, the fact that the team had taken internal action against the player and the player’s sincerity in accounting for his conduct and expressing his regret and apology for the incident.

DSC