5.7 Discipline and Procedures Committee
Please see AMSA Appeal Process for more information.
5.7 DISCIPLINE AND PROCEDURES (D&P) COMMITTEE
1. PURPOSE: A Discipline And Procedures Committee is established for the purpose of deciding penalties, match replays and other disciplinary issues which are referred to it by appeal from an imposed administrative penalty or by actions taken by a referee, players or other team members not covered by Rule 5.3 Minimum Penalties and Fines.
2. MEMBERSHIP: The Discipline And Procedures Committee shall consist of any voting member of the Executive Committee, one of whom shall be appointed Chairman by the President. A panel shall consist of a minimum of three members, not including the Chairman. No member sitting on a DISCIPLINE AND PROCEDURES COMMITTEE panel may participate in a decision involving teams from the division in which he plays or involving a club for which he plays. The Chairman of the Committee shall be responsible to present any necessary facts to the panel, but he shall not participate on the panel itself.
3. FILING APPEAL: A player, captain, or team upon whom a penalty is imposed may file an appeal. Appeals must be filed prior to the next scheduled match, although AMSA has the authority to extend this deadline as necessary but is under no obligation to do so. Appeals must be submitted in writing, and must state (a) the grounds for the appeal and (b) the evidence in support of the appeal.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The Discipline And Procedures Committee does not automatically grant hearings. In fact the standard for granting such hearings is set high and any appeal must state a compelling and valid basis for relief.
4. LIMITATIONS ON GROUNDS FOR APPEAL.
a. A Referee’s decision on facts may not be appealed. Any facts contained in the match report or any supplemental report obtained from the Referee shall be conclusive of the facts, unless revised by the Referee before the hearing. The D&P Committee has no power to make a fact-finding that differs from the Referees statement of facts.
b. A Yellow Card offense may not be appealed. A Red Card issued for an accumulation of two Yellow Cards may not be appealed.
5. DISPOSITION WITHOUT HEARING. If it is the unanimous opinion of the Discipline And Procedures Committee that a written appeal clearly fails to state a valid basis for relief, the D&P Committee may deny the appeal without a hearing. In case of doubt, a hearing should be held. The Chairman shall inform the appealing parties of the basis of any such decision.
6. HEARINGS: In any matter brought before the Discipline And Procedures Committee, the affected player and/or the captain of the affected team shall be entitled to notice of any hearing if the D&P Committee determines that a hearing is warranted. If a hearing is granted, the Appellant must submit a good faith deposit of $50 to the AMSA Administrator. In the case of a favorable finding for the Appellant, the deposit shall be returned by the D&P Committee. The Discipline And Procedures Chairman shall give notice in writing at least five days in advance of hearing. If the affected player or captain cannot attend the hearing, he may request one postponement from the D&P Committee, which shall not be unreasonably refused. The affected player or captain shall have the right to present evidence and make a statement at the hearing. If the affected player or captain fails to attend the hearing after due notice, the D&P Committee may proceed to decide the matter. The Chairman of the D&P Committee shall establish reasonable procedures for the hearing designed to insure a full and fair development of facts and applicable rules. Where all parties consent, hearings may be held by conference call or other means which will allow all parties to participate simultaneously; provided that a live hearing shall be held in any case where no referee report is available.
7. REDUCTION OF MINIMUM PENALTIES: The D&P Committee may not reduce a minimum penalty imposed by the League Administration except for strong reason.
8. DECISIONS: All cases involving hearings shall be decided by majority vote. The Discipline And Procedures Chairman shall promptly notify the Administrator of the Committee’s decisions in all matters, and the Administrator shall promptly notify the affected players and captains.
As amended by the AMSA Executive Committee on February 1, 2022.