Standard Directions for Incidents on the Field of Play which fall within Law 12, which were
not seen by Match Officials, but caught on video (serious foul play, violent conduct, spitting
at an opponent or any other person, offensive, insulting or abusive language or gestures)
For Players of Clubs of the FA Premier League, Football League and Football Conference
National Division
(a) General Principles
These Standard Directions are subject to the terms of the Regulations of The Association
and the relevant Memorandum. In the case of any conflict, first the Regulations and then
the relevant Memorandum will apply.
These are Standard Directions; they may be deviated from at the discretion of the
Regulatory Commission dealing with any given case, if the circumstances of that case so
dictate.
Under these Standard Directions, The Association may charge a Player with Misconduct
under the Rules of The Association for incidents on or around the Field of Play, excluding
the tunnel area, that are caught on camera but not seen and dealt with by the Match
Officials at the time.
The Charge will be accompanied by an offer of the automatic penalty
that would apply to the offence had it been seen and reported by the Match Official(s)
during the match.
Where the player charged has been suspended due to a dismissal or under these Standard
Directions earlier in the same season, the penalty offered shall be increased to include, in
addition to the applicable automatic penalty, one game for each occasion that the player has
been so suspended.
For these purposes a dismissal earlier in the same season in a non first team competitive
match will only be taken into account where it is for violent conduct, serious foul play or
spitting.
A written statement by Match Officials that they did not witness a particular incident shall
be conclusive evidence of that fact.
(b) Timings
(i) The Charge
A Charge under these provisions may only be issued within the period of two working
days of the incident (i.e. for a Saturday/Sunday game, a Charge will usually have to be
issued prior to 6pm on the Tuesday). The Charge will be accompanied by all evidence,
documents and written submissions upon which The Association intends to rely.
(ii) The Reply
The Player is required to respond to the Charge in writing by 6pm on the first working
day following receipt of the Charge (either by fax 020 7745 5777 or by e-mail
Disciplinary@TheFA.com). In the absence of a Reply, the matter will be dealt with
directly at the next available Regulatory Commission, and submissions from the Player
may not be admitted.
The Player may accept the Charge and penalty offered or deny the Charge. In the
event that the offered punishment is accepted, the suspension will commence
forthwith upon receipt by The Association of the consent of the chairman of the
Judicial Panel (or his nominee).
(iii) Submissions
Along with the Reply, by 6pm on the first working day following the Charge, the Club
or Player must provide The Association and the Regulatory Commission with copies of
all evidence, documents and written submissions upon which the Club or the Player
intends to rely. If the evidence, documents and written submissions are not submitted
within this time limit, they may not be considered by the Regulatory Commission.
As a guide the following schedule will apply:
Incident Charge Reply Submissions Commission
Sat/ Sun Tuesday Wednesday Wednesday Thursday
(c) Regulatory Commission Procedures
The following procedures shall be followed at the Regulatory Commission unless the
Regulatory Commission thinks it appropriate to amend them:
(i) Reports along with any other evidence, including video evidence, in support of the
Charge, shall be put before the Regulatory Commission by the Secretary of the
Regulatory Commission;
(ii) All statements and video or other evidence in defence of the Charge shall be put
before the Regulatory Commission by the Secretary of the Regulatory Commission.
For offences alleged to have been committed in the same match, where there is common
Association or defence evidence the Regulatory Commission shall hear all evidence at the
same hearing. Evidence adduced in the defence of a Player shall be capable of constituting
evidence against another Player. The Regulatory Commission shall give appropriate weight
to such evidence. The Regulatory Commission will generally hear evidence in chronological
order of the alleged events but shall have complete discretion to take matters out of order
for timely, efficient and appropriate disposal of the proceedings.
(d) Decisions
The Regulatory Commission will decide whether the Charge is proved or not proved. In the
event that the Charge is proved, the Regulatory Commission will have the power to impose
the original penalty offered or to increase the penalty if it believes a denial to have been an
abuse of process or frivolous.
In the event that the Charge is not proved, the Charge will be dismissed.
The decision of the Regulatory Commission will be communicated verbally to the
Player/Club on the same day as the decision is reached, and in writing by the end of the
following working day.
(e) Right of Appeal
The Player will have a right of appeal only in the event that a penalty is ordered in excess of
a three-match suspension. The Player may only appeal against the level of penalty imposed
and only in respect of that part of the suspension in excess of three matches. No other
appeal (for instance, against the decision that the Charge was pursued) is allowed.
Information regarding the appeals process is set out in the Standard Directions for Appeals
against decisions of Regulatory Commissions (see Schedule C).
(f) Written Reasons
A request for written reasons in respect of the decision of the Regulatory Commission may
be lodged with the Regulatory Commission, in which case the request must be made at the
time of verbal notification of the decision (i.e. on the same day as the Regulatory
Commission). If requested, written reasons will be supplied to parties by 6pm on the first
working day following the Regulatory Commission.
(g) Representation
A Player does not have the right to be present or represented at a hearing of a Regulatory
Commission in respect of incidents covered by this Standard Direction. The matter will be
dealt with on video and written evidence only.
