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In a major change from the first three years of the A-League, video footage can now be used as evidence for a player to appeal a red card decision.
The move was one of a raft of changes to the A-League disciplinary regulations announced today by Football Federation Australia.
After a controversial season – which saw Central Coast goalkeeper Danny Vukovic banned for striking a referee but Jets striker Joel Griffiths unpunished for hitting a touchline official in the groin – FFA chief executive Ben Buckley hoped the changes would “eliminate many of the inconsistencies that existed in the system over the first three years of the A-League”.
In another significant move, disciplinary and appeals committee hearings will now be open to the media.
While the FFA came under heavy criticism last season for its inconsistent rulings, it was also its lack of transparency in hearings that was frowned upon.
In one baffling case, then-Newcastle Jets player Stuart Musialik was banned for verbally abusing Melbourne defender Roddy Vargas but cleared of racial abuse.
It was alleged Musialik called Vargas a “black monkey”, but what was actually said was never known to the public because the hearing was closed.
“The regulations were reviewed because we wanted to ensure that football’s disciplinary provisions are not only consistent with those of the sport internationally, but also with community expectations within Australia,” Buckley said in a statement.
Other key changes include:
* The appointment of a three person match review panel to review footage of each match where players receive a red card;
* The appointment of a disciplinary committee to hear player appeals and direct referrals;
* The capacity for FFA to directly refer matters to the disciplinary committee if the referee has made an obvious error and the matter is contrary to the good image of football;
* An increase in the number of accumulated yellow cards to five before a one match suspension is received. For every three yellow cards after this, the player receives a two match suspension.
The new match review panel is to be chaired by former referee Barry Such.
Other members include former Socceroos Alan Davidson and Jean Paul de Marigny and another former referee, Simon Micallef.
The disciplinary committee is to be chaired by John Marshall with lawyer and former Socceroo Peter Tredinnick as deputy chairman.
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