UCFL

• Weekly disciplinary hearings each Thursday night – flexibility introduced during Covid-19 pandemic continues
• Automatic one-match ban applies to next game after red card – exceptions relating to external competitions only
• Red carded players entitled to attend hearing in all cases
• Date of ban after 4 yellow cards determined by Executive Committee

Red Card suspensions

Any player dismissed from the field of play is automatically suspended for his team's next match.

The related red card report will be dealt with by the disciplinary sub-committee on receipt, when any additional suspension* and/or fine will be decided. If warranted, this sub-committee may request the attendance of nominated people following the red card report. However, any person who is the subject of a red card (or equivalent) report is entitled to a personal hearing. This must be done by contacting the Hon Sec in advance to confirm his wish to appear.

*Typically, the disciplinary sub-committee meets on a Thursday night and any suspension additional to the automatic one match ban will apply with effect from the Tuesday after the Thursday night disciplinary meeting. Thus, where the total suspension exceeds one match, the notification sent to the player’s club will contain two dates, the first (relating to the automatic one match ban), is effective from the date of the dismissal and applies to the team’s next match, even though this may pre-date the disciplinary hearing, with the balance becoming effective from the Tuesday after the (Thursday night) disciplinary hearing.

• Teams requesting no game on a particular future weekend must go through formal postponement request process as per rules
• Late postponement request (i.e. after fixture already published) requires consent from Emergency Committee
• No postponements/ changes to fixtures permitted without consent of Fixtures Secretary (on behalf of Executive)

The UCFL has operated a standard procedure for postponements for many years. Teams included in the League are expected to be available on all weekends (with certain rare exceptions, e.g. over the Christmas period) during the season to fulfill fixtures scheduled for them by the League (Fixtures Secretary). Any team wishing to have a particular future weekend free, must request a postponement by going through the formal process outlined in the rules (and re-printed below). The standard postponement fee currently applying is €30.

• Home team to contact opposition and referee after fixtures released
• Venue switches to away team’s pitch if home team’s pitch unavailable
• Referee to be paid before kick-off
• Changes to kick-off times only permitted in certain circumstances
• Fixtures Secretary to be kept informed of any changes

Pre-match:

The home team should contact the opposition and referee in good time to check that all is in order. This should be done as early as possible after publication of the fixtures to allow any unexpected problems to be addressed.

The referee should be paid his match fee prior to kick-off. If the referee appears and the match fails to take place for any reason (e.g. pitch unplayable), the referee is entitled to half the regular match fee.

Applications are open for all teams, including any prospective new teams, to participate in the UCFL in season 2020/21. To download a form, please click on the following link:

www.ucfl.ie/homepage.aspx?oid=1054&ct=dl/

For many years, the UCFL has introduced a (minute) rule at the beginning of each season to the effect that, in the event of the home team’s pitch being unplayable, the game must be switched to the away team’s pitch and go ahead as otherwise scheduled.

Over the years, various scenarios have arisen which have required clarification of this rule. For example, it has been established that a match can go ahead on an alternative venue nominated by the home team, or indeed, on a pitch similarly sourced by the away team which is not necessarily its own usual venue. This is subject to the usual conditions, such as that the alternative venue be reasonable in terms of location and that a switch may be impossible in the event of a very late change etc.

Any player dismissed from the field of play is automatically suspended for his team's next match.

The related red card report will be dealt with by the disciplinary sub-committee on receipt, when any additional suspension* and/or fine will be decided. If warranted, this sub-committee may request the attendance of nominated people following the red card report. However, any person who is the subject of a red card (or equivalent) report, may request a personal hearing. This must be done either by appearing in person on the Thursday night following the incident, or by contacting the Hon Sec in advance to confirm his wish to appear.