Rules & Regulations

11.1 General:

11.1.1 Players and Clubs or team officials reported for misconduct shall be dealt with by the Essex County Soccer Association except as otherwise stipulated.

11.1.2 In all cases of alleged physical contact or attempted physical contact with a game official, by a player or a Club or Team Official, the accused shall be suspended until the case has been dealt with by the Ontario Soccer Association's Discipline Committee.

11.1.3 Every Club is required to take all precautions necessary to prevent its players, Officials and spectators from threatening or assaulting anyone present at games, especially game officials.

11.1.4 At all Discipline Hearings, the accused shall have the right to appear at his own expense.

11.1.5 Any person who has been suspended as the result of a Discipline Hearing shall not take part in any soccer activity until the completion of his suspension.

11.1.6 For any discipline case brought before the Essex County Soccer Association a levy set by the ECSA is to be paid by the Club for each of their players or team Officials charged with misconduct, if found guilty.

11.1.7 All discipline rules contained in this document are subject to the discipline policies of the Ontario Soccer Association.

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11.2 Discipline Hearings:

11.2.1 Each Discipline Hearing held by the Essex County Soccer Association and by its Members or their delegated authorities, shall be conducted in the accordance with the following:

i) A Discipline Committee, which shall consist of at least three members, one of whom shall be the Chairperson and one whom shall act as Recording Secretary, shall hear all charges at a properly convened Discipline Hearing. The person accused may waive this requirement for the three members.

ii) Those who are required to attend a Discipline Hearings shall include the accused person or organization, or that person's or organizations representative.

iii) A registered youth player may choose to be accompanied by an adult.

iv) Subject to v) hereof, all those required to attend a Discipline Hearing shall be given fifteen (15) days’ notice, in writing, (Saturday, Sunday and Legal Holidays excepted) of the place, date and time of the hearing. Such notice
shall also be forwarded to the team or Club when the offence involves a registered player or official representative of that team or Club.

v) In all instances where the Essex County Soccer Association or Leagues have published the dates on which they hold regularly scheduled Discipline Hearings, those required to attend shall appear at the next scheduled hearing
following the day on which they were charged with the offence.

vi) Any party required to attend a hearing may request one postponement of a hearing. All such requests must be submitted in writing by registered mail or recognized courier service and must be received by the appropriate governing body no later than four (4) days prior to the date of the hearing stating the reason for requesting said postponement. All such requests must be accompanied by the correct fee in the form of a certified cheque or money
order made payable to the appropriate governing body. Should the request be denied, the fee shall be refunded. No fee is payable by game officials.

vii) Failure of those required to appear at a Discipline following notification as
required by iv) or v) hereof shall result in the suspension of the absent party until such time as the party requests, in writing, another hearing, and appears at the subsequent hearing.

viii) Those who request another hearing in accordance with vii) hereof shall remit, together with the request, the correct fee in the form of a certified cheque or money order. This fee is non-refundable.

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11.3 Delegation:

11.3.1 In all instances where the Essex County Soccer Association has delegated responsibility for discipline to individual Leagues, such Leagues shall adhere to the procedures outlined in this rule.
 

11.3.2 With all required personnel present, the hearing shall proceed as follows:

i) The Chairman shall read the report (s) and shall then allow the person(s) submitting the report the report(s) (if present) the opportunity to amplify or qualify the report(s).

ii) The accused (or representative) shall be allowed to question the person(s) who submitted the report(s) or, in the absence of that person or those persons, the report(s) itself, provided that the questions are relevant.
 

iii) The Chairman shall allow the accused and other witnesses to testify provided that the testimony is relevant.

iv) At any time, the Chairman and any Committee Member may question the accused or any witnesses.

v) The accused and the person(s) submitting the report(s) shall be granted the opportunity to submit final comments, and the Chairman shall then declare the hearing recessed. At this time, all those other than Committee Members shall leave.

vi) The Discipline Committee shall then consider the evidence, and shall, whenever possible, arrive at a decision prior to adjourning. In the event that the Committee decides that further investigation is required, it will act accordingly, and it will notify all involved parties to that effect within fifteen (15) days (Saturday, Sunday and Legal Holidays excepted), in writing of the place, date and time of that hearing to all involved parties, and all parties shall be
required to be present at that hearing.
 

vii) The decision of the Discipline Committee shall be made known to the accused, in writing, within fifteen (15) days (Saturday, Sunday and Legal Holidays excepted), of the hearing at which the decision was reached. If the
accused is found guilty, the exact terms of the sentence imposed shall be included with the decision and the accused shall be informed of all rights of appeal at the same time.

11.4 Discipline Action, General:

11.4.1 All suspensions shall be for a stated period of time and may be based on the equivalent of one game per week (League and Cup games). All suspensions shall be served continuously from a stated date to a stated expiry date.
 

11.4.2 Except for players playing with youth teams, the Discipline Committee may add monetary fines and bonds must be paid by certified check or money order payable to the appropriate governing body within the time stipulated by that body, within fifteen (15) days of the receipt of the decision or within the time stipulated by that body.
 

11.4.3 Failure to pay fines and bonds within the time specified will result in the suspension of the person or organization penalized for an additional period of thirty days without further notification.

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11.5 Discipline Action, Specific:
 

11.5.1 All specific discipline action (i.e. suspensions resulting from cautions and ejections, etc.) shall be administered by the Essex County Soccer Association or its delegated League(s) as stipulated in the most current edition of the Ontario Soccer Association Rules and Regulations.