Disciplinary Code

The Old Salvatorians’ Football Club is committed to providing both a football and a social community for its members based on premier standards of conduct.

Players’ Responsibilities

• All players representing OSFC are to conduct themselves in a responsible and sportsmanlike manner both on and off the pitch.
• Players disciplined by the AFA and other appropriate disciplinary bodies will be notified of bans and/fines imposed by them by the Club Disciplinary Chairman verbally as soon as they are received at the Club, and later in writing.
• All captains will be notified of the same by the Club Disciplinary Chairman.
• Players banned from playing by the AFA and other appropriate disciplinary bodies must observe the stipulated dates of the ban without fail.
• Fines imposed by the AFA and other appropriate disciplinary bodies must be paid by the stipulated date.
  

Captains’ responsibilities

• Captains are responsible for ensuring high standards of organisation, and the behaviour of their teams, encouraging sportsmanship at all times.
• In the event of a caution or sending off, a brief verbal report must be given by the Captain on the day of the match to the Club Disciplinary Chairman or in his absence to the Club Chairman or Secretary.
• This procedure must be adopted even where a referee has indicated that a formal advice will not be sent to the appropriate body.
• Captains must also adopt the above procedure to report any incident/s not punished by a match official but which are considered to be serious enough to bring the Club’s name into disrepute.
  

Disciplinary Committee

• This will comprise the Chair, elected at the AGM, and two co-opted members who will review all Club disciplinary matters.
• Where an offence, both on and off the pitch, is considered sufficiently serious, the Disciplinary Committee has the power to suspend a player from Club activities until all reports and written statements are available for full consideration.
• The punishment/s imposed by the AFA and other appropriate disciplinary bodies, in normal circumstances, will be deemed to be the acceptable punishment/s.
• Where the referee has not formally reported offences, the Disciplinary Committee should meet with the team captain and player/s to discuss the matter and the Disciplinary Committee should then decide an appropriate punishment.
• The Disciplinary Committee has the power to impose an additional playing ban and/or fine on a player considered to have offended seriously too often in a season or in his years as a member of the Club.
• A sending off for violent conduct may warrant an immediate suspension by the Disciplinary Committee.
  

Appeals Procedure

• If a player wishes to appeal a sending-off, he must advise the Club Disciplinary Chairman within five days. A report detailing the grounds of the appeal together with the appropriate fee must be provided. Players will be required to attend the subsequent AFA appeals hearing.
• Bookings cannot be appealed.
• The Disciplinary Committee, if it deems it appropriate, has the right to invite any player subject to disciplinary action to attend its meetings. The player may be accompanied by a club member.
• If a player wishes to appeal the decision of the Disciplinary Committee, he, with a club member, may attend the next meeting of the full Club Committee which may uphold, modify or annul the decision.
• There is no further appeal beyond the full Club Committee.
  

Bans/Fines

• Players serving bans are not eligible for selection, for any reason, during the stipulated period of their ban. Any failure, by captains and/or banned players to observe this will be subject to disciplinary action by the Disciplinary Committee.
• Players are responsible for fines to the appropriate disciplinary bodies and will not be considered for selection if those fines remain outstanding 14 days after the due date.
  

Expulsion

• The Disciplinary Committee has the power to recommend that a player be expelled from the Club.
• This could be on the grounds that a player:
  - persists in foul play in any given season or seasons
  - is found guilty of misconduct by the AFA
  - behaves in a manner likely to bring the name of the OSFC into disrepute
  -* If endorsed by the full Club Committee, the player will be advised in writing and given notice of the appeal procedure as laid down in Rule 6 of the Club Constitution.
• The player has the right, accompanied by a club member, to attend a hearing of the full Club Committee to present his grounds for appeal.
• The final decision of the full Club Committee shall be binding.
  

This code is designed to protect the enjoyment of the majority of club members, as well as match officials and our opposition. The OFSC aspires to be a premier club in all aspects of its operation by its members and peers. This includes being sportsmanlike and hospitable, and it is important that the enjoyment of the majority is not affected by a minority.

Revised: July 1997 Reviewed: July 2001 Revised: February 2003