Red card suspensions must be served in the environment in which they were obtained, that is:  red cards obtained in league play must be served in league play; and tournament red cards will be served in tournaments.

When a player received a red card in league play, the referee will fill out the report in Game Officials.  The East Central Games Committee will determine the appropriate length of suspension.  

• Players must serve suspensions in games by the team on which they are rostered.
• Players must be present at games served for suspension
• Multiple league game suspensions cannot be served in tournaments, even though they are ineligible to play in league games.

The East Central Games committee has the power to suspend players and coaches. Any player that is ejected and/or suspended may choose to have a hearing.  This request for a hearing to review the suspension/ejection must be done in writing within 10 days of receiving the suspension notice.  This subsequent hearing will take place within 30 days.  During this time, the player may not be able to participate in any league game.  All league appeal options must be exhausted before legal, civil action can be taken.

Multiple game suspensions may occur due to repeated red card/ejection incidents and/or severity of the event.  

Suspensions received near the end of the season which will not be fully served by the end of the season will be carried over to the next East Cental playing season.  Failure to complete prior years suspensions will result in additional suspensions and may result in team, club or association fines. 

A team, club or association using a suspended player or players in any sanctioned game will be assessed a fine of $100.00 and will forfeit the game involved.  East Cental teams playing against suspended teams, clubs or associations will be fined $100.00

Player Ejection Suspensions  updated March 2022

A suspension of 1 or more games will be imposed on any player who is ejected from a game for any of the following offenses.  The severity and circumstances of the offense will be considered when handing down the suspension. 

a. Serious Foul Play 

b. Violent Conduct  

c. Spitting at someone                                                                    

d. Deliberate handling of the ball to prevent a goal.       

e. Fouling a player with an obvious goal scoring opportunity 

f. Offensive, insulting, or abusive language                               

g. Receiving two cautions in a match       

                                                     

Serious Foul Play occurs when attempting to play the ball.   

Violent Conduct is inappropriate contact when the ball is not in the immediate area. 

Excessive Cautions – Players who have received a caution (yellow card) in two consecutive league games or who accumulate three cautions during the regular season will be suspended for an East Central/Wisconsin Youth Soccer Association league game, pending notification.  Two cautions received in a game resulting in a player’s ejection will not be counted towards a second suspension.  A single caution during a game where the player subsequently receives a red card will be counted toward the second suspension for excessive cautions. 

 

A substitution after cautions (Yellow Cards) – The East Central District encourages coaches to substitute players who receive cautions, at the next available time for normal substitution. 

The referees will NOT stop play at the time of the caution to allow for the substitution. 

 

Mandatory Attendance of Suspended Players – A player who is serving a suspension must be present at the game of which is to count towards a suspension. For the game to count towards a suspension, a player must have the lead referee date, indicate opponent, and sign a Non-Participation Verification Card. This card is to be e-mailed to the East Central Games Commissioner as verification.  

 

All players that receive suspensions must serve their suspensions on the team they are rostered on.  

 

Probation Policy – Because of various behavioral problems stemming from actions by players, coaches, referees, and spectators per review of Referee Game Reports and East Central Incident reports, the Competition Committee (or its equivalent), after a hearing, may place a player, coach, team, club, or referee on a year’s probation. After the year, and if the behavior on and/or off the field does not improve, the East Central District may ban from league play for a year a particular player, coach, team, club, or referee. 

 

Protest and Appeal Process 

a. A player or coach suspension may be appealed, and the outcome of a game may be protested to the East Central Games Commissioner.  However, no dispute, claim, protest or appeal will be considered unless it is presented in writing. 

b. For appealing suspensions/or the outcome of a game, the “event” that initiates the five-day time limit will be the date in which the letter notifying of the suspension is received. The appeal must then be submitted to the Games Commissioner along with a $75.00 appeal fee. The fee should be in the form of a check made out to the East Central Wisconsin Youth Soccer Association.  

c. The East Central Games Commissioner will within 30 days after being notified that the player wishes to have a hearing to appeal a suspension/ejection will inform all parties of his/her decision. The East Central Competition Committee will review the information. If the appeal or protest is upheld, the fee will be returned. If denied, the fee will be forfeited to the East Central District treasury. The decision of the committee will be binding to all parties concerned, subject only to further appeal. 

d. A denied protest or appeal may be further appealed to the Wisconsin Youth Soccer Association Appeals Board. This appeal process is covered under the Wisconsin Youth Soccer Association By-Laws, Rules and Regulations.  

e. Any written communication to the East Central Games Commissioner that does not follow the protest/appeal protocol will be considered informational only and may not be acted on or responded to. 

 

Coach Send-off / Warning                                                

1. Any coach cited for a warning in an official game report or harassing a referee during the post-game “Verification Meeting” will be suspended at the discretion of the East Central Coaching Commissioner.   If a coach is ejected at any time during the game and there are no available coaches with a coaching pass card and appropriate license level where required, to oversee the team, that game may be declared a forfeit. 

Coach Misconduct:  

a. Coaches in the East Central Leagues are expected to exhibit the highest level of sporting behavior and are responsible for the attitudes and behavior of their assistant coaches, players, and spectators. 

b. In the event the referee determines the conduct of the coach is detrimental to the game, the referee may ask the coach to leave the immediate vicinity. Immediate vicinity shall be defined as sufficient distance from the playing field where the offending party cannot cause additional disruptions to the game. This is considered the “out of sight and out of sound principle”. 

c. Any time a coach is sent off the field, the referee must report it in Game Officials.   

d. When a coaching send-off report is received by the East Central Coaching Commissioner, the coaching commissioner will investigate the incident and recommend an appropriate response, in consultation with the coach’s club president, and to the East Central District President. Repeat offenses will factor into the severity of the response. This response can take the form of one or more of the following: 

• Suspension from one game (automatic) to lifetime dependent upon the severity of the incident.  

• Attending and completing an anger management course (Cost to be borne by the coach and/or club for which they coach) 

• Attending and completing an introductory referee training course (Cost to be borne by the coach and/or club for whom they coach). 

• Probation 

e. If the response (decision) includes anger management training or introductory referee training, these courses must be completed at the next opportunity or the coach will be suspended until the course has been completed.  

f. An investigation can be initiated by a signed letter or e-mail from a third party.  The response to this investigation can take the same form as a send-off report.  

g. Decisions may be appealed per the East Central Appeals process with a $75.00 appeal fee being posted within 48 hours of being advised of the decision. The appeal will be heard within 20 days of the appeal being accepted. If the decision is overturned or modified the appeal fee will be returned to the appellant.