Regulations for dealing with players sent off the field of play or cited in schools’ rugby.

Preamble

Rugby is played in schools as an extra-curricular activity and therefore is under the control of the Principal.  Assistance in administering the game is obtained from the Ulster Branch (IRFU).  Discipline of school pupils, however, remains with the Principal of each individual school and as such a direct comparison with adult rugby is not possible. 

In schools’ rugby the gravity of an offence which results in a sending off is often less serious than in adult rugby.  Also the school season is much shorter than that for adult rugby and given that any player remains in school rugby for a limited time, it is likely that sanctions for school pupils will be lower than for adult rugby.  It is also likely that the pupil’s record in school will also be considered and school sanctions, which are often seen as more serious than rugby sanctions e.g. school suspension, should also be taken into consideration.

Procedures

Sending Off
When a player is sent off, the teacher-in-charge of the team should receive a verbal report from the referee as soon as possible.  Having obtained as much information as possible, including the referee’s report, the Principal of that school shall determine the sanction to be applied. Before applying the sanction he/she should communicate that decision, as soon as possible, initially to the Chairman of the schools’ committee and then to the Principal of the opposing team.  Any difference of opinion should initially be resolved between the two Principals.   Should the Principals fail to agree that the sanction is satisfactory the matter may be referred to the Chairman of the Schools’ Committee.  The Chairman will attempt to arbitrate between the two schools but ultimately the responsibility for discipline will still remain with the Principal of the school whose pupil has been sent off.  The Principal may ask the Chairman of the School’s Committee (who may seek to form a small sub-committee) to make a decision which would then be binding on all parties.

The referee’s report should be sent to the Ulster Branch as soon as possible and a copy forwarded to the Chairman of the Schools’ Committee and the Principals of both schools. The Principal of the school of the offending player should then confirm in writing to the Ulster Branch the sanction that has been applied.  A copy will then be forwarded to the IRFU (for statistical purposes) and the Chairman of the Schools’ Committee who will inform the School’s Committee of the decision at their next meeting. 

The procedures outlined above apply whether the referee has been appointed by the Ulster Branch, has been invited by the home side or is a member of staff of either side.

Citing
Where a player commits an act of foul play, which would warrant the player concerned being sent off and which has not been detected by the referee (or touch judges in the case of official touch judges being in place), the Principal of the opposing school (or his designated person) has the discretion to cite that player in writing to the Principal of the school of the offending player.  The citing must be made in writing within 72 hours of the conclusion of the match in which the alleged incident occurred.  The following information is required

The date and place of the alleged incident.
The name and position of the alleged offender.
The name of the opposition team and full details of the alleged incident, including any witnesses or other evidence e.g. video.
The referee and, where applicable, the touch judges should be sent copies of the citing complaint.

The Principal of the school whose pupil is cited should conduct an investigation, as appropriate, and reach a decision within 48 hours of receiving the referee’s response (and where appropriate touch judges).  This Principal should then inform the Principal of the school citing the player of his/her decision.  A sub-committee of the Schools’ Committee should be available to provide advice, if required.  If such a sub committee is asked for a ruling this will be binding on all parties.

Appeal
An appeal against any decision should follow the normal appeals procedure for the school involved.  This would normally be to the Board of Governors.

Notes
A player who has been sent off is debarred from playing the game until his case has been considered.  A player cited may continue playing the game until his case has been considered.  The lodging of an appeal shall not have the effect of deferring any suspension imposed.
Each case must be treated on its merits and any sanction imposed must be seen to be fair and equitable and in accordance with the circumstances of the individual case.
In the event of a player being sent off for a second or subsequent time within 3 years, his previous record should be reflected in the severity of the sentence.
A player may not play the game anywhere during the period of a suspension.
Referees should be encouraged to forward reports to the Ulster Branch as soon as possible.
Recommendations for first offences 
This tariff should be considered as the usual sanction which can, depending on the circumstances, be reduced if there are mitigating factors or increased if there are aggravating factors e.g. depending on whether the action was careless, reckless or deliberate.  The number of games scheduled and school holidays should also be taken into consideration.  Any player sent off should be suspended for a minimum of 1 match (usually 1 week), unless it is clear that the wrong player has been identified.