Discipline Procedures for Senior Players

Code of Rugby Everyone involved in rugby in England, whether as a player, coach, referee, administrator, parent or spectator is expected to uphold the Core Values of our sport. Teamwork - Respect - Enjoyment - Discipline - Sportsmanship Play to win - but not at all cost Win with dignity, lose with grace Observe the Laws and regulations of the game Respect opponents, referees and all participants Reject cheating, racism, violence and drugs Value volunteers and paid officials alike Enjoy the game

DISCIPLINE Every Club shall be responsible for the conduct of its own members,and for investigating any allegations of foul play and/or acts of misconduct which have taken place on Club premises or as part of a club activity unless set out to the contrary of the Disciplinary Regulations. They are further required to take appropriate action in accordance with these Regulations. SENDINGS OFF In all cases where the Referee has sent off a player, the Referee shall, within 48 hours after the end of the match; a) Send a completed copy of the sending off report to the secretary of the Constituent Body Disciplinary Committee to which the player's club is affiliated or allocated. (Kenny Gordon) b) Send a copy of his report to his own Referee Society or, if he is not a member of a Referee Society, to the Constituent Body in whose area the match was played. Where a player is sent off following foul play drawn to the Referee's attention upon the intervention of an Assistant Referee, that official shall also comply with the obligations imposed upon the Referee. Whether the Referee is a member of a Referee Society or not, in all circumstances Club Secretaries must report to their Constituent Bodies within 48 hours after the match the name, address and contact telephone and fax numbers of any player who has been ordered off the playing enclosure, including players under the age of 17 years. The details of the players under 17 years should be sent to the CBSYDS. (Roger Edmondson) If a player is being reported for Misconduct in the Playing Enclosure, then the same procedure set out above shall be followed.  A Match Official reporting abuse shall comply with the above requirements, save that, where the player has not been sent off in relation to the alleged abuse, a Match Official Abuse Form shall be completed and submitted within 7 days.

Where a player has been sent off, the Disciplinary Committee Secretary, will complete and forward as soon as possible a Notice of Hearing that will include the details of; a) The specific charge, b) The date, time and place appointed for the hearing, c) Directions on case management, as appropriate. The player will be asked in the Notice of Hearing; a) Whether he accepts that he committed the offence specified in the Match Official's Report and wishes to plead guilty; or b) Whether he disputes the allegations and wishes the Referee, or Assistant Referee in appropriate cases, to be invited to attend. The player will be advised in the Notice of Hearing that if he wishes any of  the match officials to be invited to attend, he may be called upon to pay  their travelling expenses. The Notice of Hearing will be accompanied by a copy of the Match Officials  Report. It will also advise a player that he should have available any  evidence he wishes to call and his attention will be specifically directed to the Discipline Regulations. The Disciplinary Committee will endeavour to hear the case within 21 days  unless there are exceptional circumstances that merit a longer period. Where a player is 17 years or over and is playing in an U19, U20 or an adult team, he shall be subject to the RFU regulations which apply to all adult players, as covered in the Disciplinary Regulations. If a player is sent off or cited in a club youth match, that players club secretary(via the club disciplinary panel) shall be responsible for taking disciplinary action against him or her, under the guidance of the CBSYDS. As Chairman of the Sussex RFU Disciplinary Committee, I am always available to advise clubs as to procedures, but for obvious reasons would be unable to discuss specifics. Frank Edmonds. Discipline Chairman, Sussex RFU. July 2011

So you have been 'dismissed from the field of play' (red card)
What now ?

Advice for Players Attending a Disciplinary Hearing V1.0 JUN09

Sussex RFU Discipline Secretary
Mr. J. K. Gordon, 13 Kings Place, Horsham, RH13 5RD  tel: 01403 251091 - email: disciplinesec@f2s.com   

Disciplinary regulations for players under 18 can be found under Youth & Schools > Discipline.

Discipline and other Rules and Regulations are under constant review and changes are made both between and during the Season.  Please ensure that you are using the latest version published on the current SRFRU website www.sussexrugby.co.uk    Further information is available on www.rfu.com

Changes have been made  by the RFU in Disciplinary procedures that will come into force in 2009. 
The 'Tariff' system for assessing a Club's Disciplinary Record has now been superseded. (see Reg. 2.5.9a below)

DISCIPLINE REGULATIONS

Note from Mr. Frank Edmonds, Chairman of Discipline, Sussex RFU
For the benefit of brevity I have been through the current RFU Handbook and selected those items which would appear
 to be of importance to the general conduct of the disciplinary process involving clubs.  

Notice of the hearing form has been revised by the Sussex Disciplinary Panel Secretary, Kenny Gordon, and is also on our offical website.
                                   The form clearly sets out the process and the rights of a person appearing before a Disciplinary Panel.
                                   The administration fee has been increased to £30 and costs are dealt with under 8.3 and appendix 6.
                                   You will see that these costs should be paid within 21 days unless a Disciplinary Panel grants a longer period.
                                   Our £30 is considerably less than the recommended £100, so I would expect cooperation in their payment, preferably
                                   by paying the costs on the night, to cut down the work of the Disciplinary Secretary.    

FROM THE RFU HANDBOOK - A COPY OF WHICH IS HELD BY EVERY CLUB SECRETARY 
    
2.2. Club Disciplinary Panel
2.2.1   Every Club shall appoint a Disciplinary Panel charged with the responsibility of maintaining the standards of discipline within that Club.  
2.2.2   Every Club shall be responsible for the conduct of its own members, and for investigating any allegations of foul play and taking appropriate action in           
          accordance with the disciplinary regulations.    

2.3     Constituent Body Disciplinary Panel
2.3.1   A Constituent Body may act in relation to Clubs who are members of their Constituent Body in relation to            
          a) any infringement of any Law of the Game; or             
          b) any conduct which is in the opinion of such Constituent Body prejudicial to the interests of the Union or of the Game as authorised 
              by the RFU Rule 5.12; or            
          c) any infringement of any of the RFU Regulations and/or iRB Regulations relating to the game.  

2.5     Disciplinary Offences  
2.5.1   Sendings Off 2.5.2   Abuse of a Match Official
2.5.3   Citings or other forms of Misconduct
2.5.4   Breach of RFU Rule 5.12
2.5.5   Child Protection
2.5.6   Recognition of other sporting bodies' sanctions
2.5.7   Doping
2.5.8   Agents
2.5.9   Bad disciplinary record
          2.5.9.a       Where players from or other members of a Club or people linked to a Club  appear before a Disciplinary Panel
                            on more than 5 separate occasions in any one season, then that Club may be deemed to have a bad disciplinary
                            record and consideration shall be given to charging that Club on the basis of its bad disciplinary record.)  
2.5.10 Breach of Fiduciary Duty
2.5.11 Pilot Coach Licensing   
         
3.1     Referral Procedure   Sendings Off
3.1.1   In all cases where the Referee has sent off a player, the referee shall, within 48 hours after the end of the match:            
          a) send a completed copy of the sending off report to the Secretary of the Constituent Body Disciplinary Committee to which the players Club is              
              affiliated or allocated, or to the RFU Disciplinary Manager at Twickenham where the Disciplinary Panel has jurisdiction; and            
          b) send a copy of his report to his own Referees Society or, if he not a member of a Referee Society, to the Constituent Body in whose area the
              match was played.  
3.1.2   Where a player is sent off following foul play drawn to the referee's attention upon intervention of a Touch Judge, 
          that Touch Judge shall also comply with           
3.1.1. The report must in all instances be signed by or certified by email by the referee as well as the touch judge.  
3.1.3    Whether the referee is a member of a Referee Society or not, in all circumstances Club Secretaries must report to their Constituent Bodies, 
           or to the RFU Disciplinary Manager at Twickenham when an RFU Disciplinary Panel has jurisdiction, within 48 hours after the match the name,
           address and contact telephone and fax numbers of any player who has been ordered off the playing enclosure, including players under the age of 17.  
3.1.4     Misconduct in the Playing Enclosure... Same procedure.  
3.1.5     Abuse of a match official..... Same procedure, save that, where a player has been sent off in relation to the alleged abuse, the form submitted
            should be an official report form and the referee shall have 7 days to submit it.     
           
9.        Safeguarding Vulnerable People Protection.     The Safeguarding Regulations are in Appendix 8 and clearly set out the obligations of a Club.
           Please ensure that all persons involved in this side of your clubs administration are aware of these Regulations.   
           Our CB Safeguarding Officer, Jacqui Coleman, is there for advice.  
           See also on this website -  'Safeguarding & Welfare'  on the 'Community Rugby' tab.

10.      Schools and Youth Rugby Disciplinary Matters.  Another section of the regulations a Clubs Disciplinary Chairman should make himself aware of.  

Appendix 2. Recommended Sanctions The recommended sanctions shown in the handbook have been altered as a result of changes required by the iRB.
                  All Clubs have had these circulated by the Sussex Secretary and they should have already been taken into use.   (See pdf below) 

Appendix 7. Citing Procedures All the information for a citing complaint are given here and timings, costs etc should be clearly followed
                  to avoid the citing being refused.  

Outside of the Disciplinary Regulations there are also the Game Regulations.
These cover many aspects of the game which are there for the information of Clubs.

There are a couple though which I would draw your attention to which have caused issues recently;
Regulation 3 - Overseas and Incoming Tours.
Regulation 5 - Websites.

Rugby Football Union - Recommended Sanctions September 2009

Where a Player has been found Guilty, the Disciplinary Panel will assess the level of seriousness of the offence, according to a list of criteria.   The awards will range from the most serious -  'Top End' (TE)  through 'Middle Range (MR) to 'Low End (LE), with recommended sanctions for each level. 

RFU Recommended Sanctions Appendix 2 September 2009