WRU Disciplinary Sanctions

1. Players

a) Players who are sent off in Club matches in Wales will be allowed to continue playing until their case is dealt with by the WRU Disciplinary Sub Committee.

b) Should a player request a personal hearing for a red or yellow card offence, this request must be made in writing to the Welsh Rugby Union Ltd within 7days of receipt of the Disciplinary Notice issued by the WRU Administration Department. A cheque for £100 made payable to the Welsh Rugby Union Ltd is to accompany the request. The fee will be retained should the personal hearing prove unsuccessful.  The player and Club representative must attend the hearing.

c) Suspensions will be calculated in numbers of weeks and will be imposed until a stated date (IRB Regulation 17.29.2).

Suspension will commence immediately following the written notification of the Disciplinary Sub Committee’s decision and the player may not play the game of rugby anywhere during the period of suspension (IRB Regulation 17.29.1).

If a player’s suspension has not terminated by the end of the current playing season, it shall continue until a stated date in the next playing season, unless he has been selected for a close season tour, or he intends to play during the close of season in another Union. In this event the period of the tour in the playing season in the visited Union and the fact that he intends to play in another Union must be taken into account in determining when the suspension shall come to an end (IRB Regulation 17.29.3).

d) In cases of fully professional players the Disciplinary Sub Committee reserves the right to impose financial penalties.

e) Whilst each case will be dealt with on its merits the WRU will apply the IRB list of recommended sanctions for offences within the playing enclosure (IRB Regulation 17). The list of sanctions is set out below.

f) A player’s previous disciplinary record in all competitions and (as appropriate) in other sports during his playing career shall be considered when determining the suspension he will serve and the Disciplinary Sub Committee may take account of such offending as an aggravating factor.

2. Clubs

a) In cases where a Club’s 1st XV has 4 players sent off or where the players sent off and Club officials reported by match officials total 4 in a season, the Club will receive a letter warning it as to its future conduct.

b) In cases where a Club’s 1st XV has 6 players sent off or where the players sent off and Club officials reported by match officials total 6 in a season, the Club will be fined 5% of the sum (core grant) made available to it in a season by the Union. For each player over 6 sent off, or Club official reported, an additional fine of 1% of the sum (core grant) made available to it in a season by the Union will be imposed on the Club.

The recommended sanctions for offences committed by players within the playing enclosure for the 2007/2008 season are:

3. Players who are Red Carded (sent off the playing enclosure permanently by the referee and can take no further part in the match in which he was ordered off):

*NB. In respect of offences not referred to above, appropriate sanctions may be imposed at the discretion of the Disciplinary Sub Committee or Appeal Committee (as the case may be)

The Disciplinary Sub Committee shall undertake an assessment of the seriousness of the player’s conduct, which constitutes the offending and categorise the offence as being at the lower end (LE), mid range (MR) or top end (TE) of the scale of seriousness in order to identify the appropriate entry point for consideration of a particular incident(s) where such incident(s) is expressly covered in the above recommended sanctions. Such assessment of the seriousness of the player’s conduct shall be determined by reference to the following features of offending:

a) The offending was intentional, that is, committed intentionally or deliberately;

b) The offending was reckless, that is the player knew (or should have known) there was a risk of committing an act of illegal and/or foul play;

c) The gravity of the player’s actions in relation to the offence:

i) Nature of actions, manner in which offence committed including part of body i.e. fist, elbow, knee or boot;

ii) The existence of provocation and whether the Player acted in retaliation and/or self-defence;

d) The effect of the offending Player’s actions on the victim (i.e. extent of injury, removal of Player from game)

e) The effect of offending Player’s actions on the game:

f) The vulnerability of victim Player including part of victim’s body involved/affected, position of Player, ability to defend himself;

g) The level of participation in the offending and level of premeditation;

h) Whether the conduct of the offending Player was completed or amounted to an attempt;

i) Any other feature of the Player’s conduct which constitutes the offending.

Notwithstanding the above, in cases where the player’s actions constitute mid range or top end of offending for any type of offence which had the potential to result and, in fact, did result in serious/gross consequences to the health of the victim, the Disciplinary Sub Committee may impose any period of suspension including a suspension for life.

4. Players who are Yellow Carded (Sin Binned when a player is temporarily suspended when he is cautioned in a match by the referee and temporarily sent off the playing enclosure by the referee for a period of ten minutes playing time which is spent in the so called sin bin)

Players who are sin binned during a match will not, save in exceptional circumstances, be given an opportunity to lodge an appeal to the Disciplinary Sub Committee.

Players who are sin binned on three occasions during the season will be suspended for one week following notification from the Welsh Rugby Union Ltd.

Should a player accumulate a further three yellow cards during the season, he will  automatically be suspended for 2 weeks.

If a player is issued with 2 yellow cards for technical offences in any one match, this will constitute a red card and the player will complete a two week suspension.

However, in cases where one yellow card is issued for a technical offence and a second yellow card is issued for foul play, again this will constitute being awarded a red card but the appropriate sanction will be determined by reference to the available sanctions for offences committed, as scheduled in number 3 above.

Finally, where a player is sent from the field of play (yellow carded and/or red carded) for whatever offence and subsequently re-enters the field of play to involve himself with an incident, that player will receive the suspension applicable to the original offence, along with a further 3 week suspension for re-entering the pitch having previously been sent off – either permanently (red carded) or temporarily (yellow carded).

5. Citing Procedures

a) The Union’s Disciplinary Sub Committee will consider cases in which a player is cited for an act of foul play.

b) A player may be cited for an act of foul play by:

  i) either of the two Clubs involved in the match
  ii) the match officials appointed by the WRU and/or appointed from other Member Unions or touch judges appointed to the match by the WRU and/or appointed from other Member Unions
  iii) a member of the WRU Board of Directors

c) To be valid the citation must be in writing and addressed to the WRU Administration Department and must be accompanied by a video and/or DVD recording of the complained of incident and must be made within 7 days of the date of the match concerned.

d) The citation may be for an act of foul play dealt with by match officials at the time as well as for incidents of foul play which were not detected by match officials.

e) On receipt of a citation the Administration Department of the WRU will write to the Club of the player cited to advise them of the citation and provide the player with a copy of the DVD / Video coverage of the reported incident and to require them to attend a hearing of the citation at a meeting of the Union’s Disciplinary Sub Committee.

f) Once a player has been cited and referred to the Disciplinary Sub Committee the case may not be withdrawn by the Citing Club or person. The Disciplinary Sub Committee alone will have the prerogative to determine whether a case of citation should be withdrawn.

g) The player, a representative of his Club, representatives of the Citing Club, or the person citing the player will be requested to attend a meeting of the Disciplinary Sub Committee (if the representative of the Citing Club or the person Citing fails to attend Meeting, the Citing complaint will be dismissed) Match officials will be invited when required.

h) The video and/or DVD of the incident will be viewed by the Disciplinary Sub Committee without the sound or commentary associated with it being heard (save where the sound commentary includes the comments made by the referee through his microphone in relation to the specific incident in question) and in the presence of all those persons attending the meeting on the matter. The player and Club representatives will then leave the meeting room after answering any questions which the Committee may have.

i) The Committee may also wish to view the video and / or DVD evidence in camera and if appropriate, retain the video and/or DVD recording of the incident which is the subject of the Citing Procedure.

j) The Disciplinary Sub Committee will make its decision on the matter after discussing the case in camera and shall be entitled to call on experts to provide specialist advice, including legal advice.

k) The player and the representatives of both Clubs will return to the meeting room to be advised of the Committee’s decision.

l) If any offence is proved the Disciplinary Sub Committee will deal with the matter in the same way as a sending off or a sin bin offence and impose a penalty in accordance with the list of sanctions appearing in 3 and 4 above.

6. Appeals

a) In accordance with IRB Regulation 17.17 a Player may appeal to an Appeal Committee from a decision of the Disciplinary Sub Committee. Any appeal must be lodged with the Administration Manager within 48 hours of the date on which the decision of the Disciplinary Sub Committee has been notified.

b) The notice of appeal shall be in writing and signed by the Player lodging the appeal and shall be accompanied by a fee of £100 which may or may not be returned and shall specify:

  i) the name of the Player lodging the appeal;
  ii) the decision appealed against;
  iii) the date of the decision appealed against; and
  iv) the specific grounds of the appeal.
 
Codes of Conduct
For breaches of the Codes of Conduct the Disciplinary Sub Committee may impose such penalties as it deems appropriate but subject to the provision of Articles 20 to 23 of the Union’s Memorandum and Articles of Association. In the 2007/2008 season where a breach of the Codes of Conduct is proved the Disciplinary Sub Committee will generally penalise by the imposition of a fine:

The Codes of Conduct and the Protocol for the Game are as follows:

Codes of Conduct for Players

1) A player shall accept and observe the authority and decisions of referees, touch judges, match officials and all other rugby Disciplinary bodies, subject to IRB Regulation 17 and shall not use crude or abusive language or gestures towards referees, touch judges, other match officials or spectators.

2) A player shall not abuse, threaten or intimidate a referee, touch judge or other match official, whether on or off the field of play.

3) A player shall not publish or cause to be published or make any public criticism of any match official or any other Team Manager, Club Official or any player, or employee of his or another Club, but he will have recourse to the complaints procedure of the Union and which procedure should be adhered to.

4) A player shall not publish or cause to be published criticism of the manner in which the Disciplinary Sub Committee handled, or resolved any dispute or disciplinary matter arising from a breach of Bye Laws, Regulations or Laws of the Game.

5) A player shall not do anything which is likely to intimidate, offend, insult, humiliate or discriminate against any other person on the ground of their religion, race, colour or national or ethnic origin.

6) A player shall conduct himself at all times in an ethical and professional manner and shall observe the highest standards of integrity and fair dealing and shall not engage in any Conduct or any activity on or off the field that may impair public confidence in the honest and orderly Conduct of a Match.

7) A player shall not commit an anti doping rule violation as defined in IRB Regulation 21

8) A player shall promote the reputation of the game of Rugby Union Football and take all possible steps to prevent it being brought into disrepute.

Codes of Conduct for Coaches /Team Managers / Club Officials

1) A Coach / Team Manager / Club Official shall comply with the Laws of the Game, the Regulations of the International Rugby Board, the Regulations of the WRU, the Rules of any Competition in which his Club participates and his Club rules. The Coach / Team Manager / Club Official shall not encourage or incite any person (including other employees of his Club) to act in breach of the same but shall take all possible steps to ensure that they comply with them.

2) A Coach / Team Manager / Club Official shall use best endeavours to ensure that there is in force at his Club a fair and effective disciplinary policy applicable to players and other employees under his control and that it is applied consistently.

3) A Coach / Team Manager / Club Official shall take all reasonable steps to ensure that players and/or other employees under his control accept and observe the authority and decisions of match officials.

4) A Coach / Team Manager / Club Official shall not publish or cause to be published or make any public criticism of any match official or any other Coach, Team Manager, Club Official or any player, and/or employee of his or another Club but he will have recourse to the complaints procedure of the Union and which procedure should be adhered to.

5) A Coach / Team Manager / Club Official shall conduct himself at all times in an ethical and professional manner and shall observe the highest standards of integrity and fair dealing.

6) A Coach / Team Manager / Club Official shall take all possible steps to promote the reputation of the game of Rugby Union Football and to prevent it being brought into disrepute.

7) A Coach / Team Manager / Club Official shall not:

a) abuse, threaten or intimidate a referee, touch judge or other match official, whether on or off the field

b) Use crude or abusive language or gestures towards referees, touch judges or other match officials or spectators.

c) Do anything which is likely to intimidate, offend, insult, humiliate or discriminate against any other person on the ground of their religion, race, colour or national or ethnic origin.

Code of Conduct for Match Officials

1) A match official shall not make any public criticism of any other match official or any Team Manager, Club Official or player of any Club, but he will have recourse to the complaints procedure of the Union and which procedure should be adhered to.

2) A match official shall conduct himself at all times in an ethical and professional manner and shall observe the highest standards of integrity and fair dealing.

3) A match official shall take all possible steps to promote the reputation of the game of Rugby Union Football and to prevent it being brought into disrepute.

4) A match official shall attain, and subsequently maintain, a level of fitness to the standards set by the WRU.

5) Match officials will endeavour to apply the Laws of the Game fairly and to an agreed interpretation as specified by the WRU and to provide the style of play as determined by the WRU.

6) Match officials must wear the agreed kit and adhere to any sponsorship agreement as determined by the WRU.

7) Match officials are expected to attend disciplinary hearings involving them personally whenever possible. The reason for non-attendance must be given to the WRU’s Administration department in advance of the hearing.

8) Match officials are expected, whenever practicable, to attend all training sessions arranged by the Manager of Match Officials. The same would apply should these training sessions be incorporated into monthly District Match Official meetings.

Code of Conduct for Referee Advisors

1) An Advisor shall not make any public criticism of any other match official or any Team Manager, Club Official or player of any Club, but he will have recourse to the complaints procedure of the Union and which procedure should be adhered to.

2) An Advisor shall conduct himself at all times in an ethical and professional manner and shall observe the highest standards of integrity and fair dealing.

3) An Advisor shall take all possible steps to promote the reputation of the game of Rugby Union Football and to prevent it being brought into disrepute.

Protocol for Games in Wales
Before the Game

1) Clubs are responsible for notifying match officials of the date, venue, kick off time and team colours at least 72 hours before the game.

2) Match officials will arrive at the ground at least 60 minutes before kick off and Clubs should make their arrangements based on this. Failure to notify a match official of a postponement prior to his arrival at the ground, may result in the home Club having to reimburse the referee’s travel costs.

3) Clubs are responsible for the safety of match officials during the time that they are at the Club in question. Where possible a referee liaison officer should be appointed by the home Club to be responsible for match officials.

4)  Match officials will be available up to 30 minutes prior to kick off to Club captains and coaches for discussions regarding laws, kit, etc.

5) Access to the match officials dressing room is restricted to persons who have a legitimate reason for seeing them and then only with the express consent of the referee.

6) Clubs will submit their team sheet and replacements to the match official before taking the field for kick off, indicating the replacement front row players. Once this has been submitted no changes should be made without the permission of the Match official.

A team sheet must identify any player(s) on permit, dual registration and/or loan and their parent Club.

7) A player may not receive local anaesthetic on match day unless it is for the suturing of bleeding wounds or for dental treatment administered by an appropriately qualified medical or dental practitioner. (IRB Reg 10.2.1).

8) The match official will ensure that the two captains are available to toss up prior to taking the field before kick off. Stud and padding inspection will take place immediately following the toss up.

9) The match balls should be available for inspection by the match officials a minimum of 15 minutes prior to kick off.

10) The home Club shall be responsible for ensuring that the playing area/enclosure is fit to play on and is free of all materials/substances that would prevent the game starting at the allocated time e.g. broken glass, animal droppings, etc.

11) The playing enclosure must be roped off.

During the game

12) Premier Division Clubs must provide technical zones and comply with the Technical Zone Protocol issued by the IRB – see Appendix 1.

13) Clubs must restrict entry to the playing enclosure to all but players, match officials, ball boys, replacements when required, two coaches, two water carriers, two medical support staff, and where necessary, television personnel. Coaches are not allowed in the Technical Zone.

14) Coaching staff must remain within the confines of their own 10m line and halfway line or take up a position behind the posts within the playing enclosure throughout the match. At no time will they be allowed to move along the touchline. Medical staff will be allowed to enter the playing enclosure to treat injured players or to supply drinks in the agreed manner. Replacements will only be allowed to enter the playing enclosure when warming up and also when nominated to participate in the match.

15) Clubs will provide an area clearly indicated for medical support personnel (Divisions 1-6) and coaches. Clubs will provide a seated area for replacements on the same side of the ground, where applicable under the control of the fourth match official.

16) Replacements, must remain seated outside the playing enclosure at all times during the match unless they are warming up in the agreed area or going into the playing area as a replacement. Where no seating is available replacements must still remain outside the playing enclosure.

17) Prior to kick off, depending on the ground, an agreed warm up area will be designated following consultation between the Clubs and match officials.

18) Replacements will only enter the field of play at the half way line after the player being replaced has left the field. Replacements will only be allowed during a stoppage of play and when the match official has clearly signalled the replacement.

19) Drinks will be permitted during a stoppage in play. Drinks must not be taken on following the awarding of a penalty.

20) Throughout the game, Clubs must ensure that spectators are not allowed to molest, or otherwise attempt to interfere with or intimidate or verbally / physically abuse match officials (see Article 21 regarding available sanctions).

21) Where match officials leave the field at half time, Clubs must ensure that there is no entry to their dressing room during that period by any player, Coach, administrator or spectator.

After the Game

22) At the end of the game Clubs should ensure that match officials are not harassed by players, coaches, Club officials or spectators and are escorted safely to their dressing room.

23) There should be no unauthorised entry to the match officials dressing room area after the end of the match. Players, coaches and Club officials should not attempt to enter this area unless with the express permission of the match officials.

24) Clubs are responsible for ensuring that match officials leave the Clubhouse and ground safely without any harassment from players, coaches, Club officials or spectators.

Sanctions for a breach of this protocol will be applied in accordance with Articles 20 – 23.

Appendix 1: Premier Division Technical Zone Protocol

1) Dimensions of the Technical Zone

a) For the Premier Division two technical zones must be provided within the playing enclosure on the same side of the pitch, each one on either side of the half-way line and outside the field of play.

b) These technical zones must be marked on the ground.

c) The line nearest the touch line must be parallel to the touch line.

d) The technical zones commence a minimum of five metres from the half-way line. The technical zones must not exceed ten metres in length and three metres in width and must not be less than two metres from the touch line (see attached schematic)

e) Wherever practically possible the zones should be behind advertising hoardings with easy access to the field of play.

2. Personnel permitted in the Technical Zone:

a) No more than two medically trained persons (certified doctors or physiotherapists only) and two water carriers per team are permitted to operate from the technical zones. All personnel in the Technical Zone should wear the appropriate sponsors bib.

b) No other person (including team officials or players) is permitted in the technical zones.

c) One of the medically trained personnel permitted to operate from the technical zone, as listed in (a) above, may be positioned instead on the far side of the playing area on the touch line opposite the technical zone.

d) Where practically possible the medical person on the far side must stay outside the advertising hoardings. The medical person on the far side may keep up with play, but must pay due regard to the needs and rights of players, spectators, broadcasters and commercial partners.

e) The medical personnel may enter the field of play in accordance with Law at any time a player is injured. They must not obstruct, interfere or aim comments at match officials.

f) Substituted players must return to their allocated seats in the stand or if no stand, they must move outside the playing enclosure.

3. Roles of Personnel in the Technical Zone:

a) Water may only be taken on the field during stoppages in play for injuries in the playing area and when a try has been scored.

b) Only the two authorised water carriers are permitted in the playing area. They are not permitted in the playing area during penalty kicks at goal.

c) The water carriers must remain in the technical zone at all times unless they enter the playing area to provide water or when ONE enters to provide a kicking tee to a kicker at a penalty kick.

d) Players may come to the touch line adjacent to the technical zone to receive water.

e) Water bottles must not be thrown on to the field of play.

NB – Apart from injuries requiring a doctor or stretcher, there can only be a maximum of 4 personnel on the field from each Club during a stoppage.

4. Management of the Technical Zone:

a) All personnel permitted in the technical zones must have some distinguishing mark e.g. arm bands/vests/sponsors bib (where appropriate)

b) The fourth and fifth officials where appointed will manage the technical zones. If there is a transgression of the protocol, the matter will be reported to the match referee.

c) The match referee may caution any offender or at his discretion expel the person(s) from the playing enclosure for any breach of the protocol.

d) Any breach of the protocol may be reported to the Welsh Rugby Union who shall be entitled to undertake investigations.

e) Should any person be expelled from the playing enclosure for a breach of the protocol they must be reported by the match referee to the WRU Disciplinary Sub Committee, who shall be entitled to undertake investigations and where deemed appropriate, impose sanctions

5. Personnel outside of the Technical Zone

a) The replacement bench and the location of the coaches should, wherever possible, be outside the playing enclosure.

b) If replacements require to warm up and there is not an area outside the playing enclosure, they may warm up in the opposition in-goal area but must not use balls in their warm up.

Premier Division Technical Zone