Discipline

 

⚽ VMSL Discipline Rules – Simplified Guide

1. Governing Authority

  1. VMSL rules apply first.
  2. If something is not covered, the Alberta Soccer Association (ASA) rules apply.
  3. Any rule changes must be approved by VMSL.

2. 👔 Discipline Director

Bruce Mintz - bruce@vmsl.ca

Committee Members

  1. Bruce Mintz – bruce@vmsl.ca (Discipline & Legal Director)
  2. Tomasz Kasprzak – info@vmsl.ca (Polonia)
  3. Mark Common – info@vmsl.ca (Polonia)
  4. Adriano Ferraro – info@vmsl.ca (Inter 35)
  5. Martin Zoeller – info@vmsl.ca (Proline Soccer Academy)

3. 🚨 Zero Tolerance – Referee Abuse

Any abuse of referees is strictly prohibited.

Includes:

  1. Verbal abuse
  2. Threats
  3. Intimidation
  4. Physical contact

Reports of referee abuse may be sent to ASA within 72 hours.

4. 📋 Card Offences

 

5. 🟥 Red Card Offences

Examples include:

  1. Abusive language or gestures
  2. Physical confrontation
  3. Threats or intimidation

6. 🟨 Yellow Card Offences

Examples include:

  1. Dissent
  2. Aggressive behaviour
  3. Surrounding the referee

7. 🟨 Yellow Cards (Cautions)

 

Suspension Thresholds

  • 3 yellow cards → 1 game suspension
  • 6 yellow cards → 2 game suspension
  • 7 yellow cards → Discipline Chair review (probable additional suspension)

Important Rules

  1. Two yellow cards in the same match = automatic red card
  2. Suspension applies to the next scheduled game
  3. Teams are responsible for tracking their own card counts

Reset Policy

  1. New season: Yellow cards reset.
  2. Playoffs: Yellow cards reset, but unserved suspensions carry over.

8. 🟥 Red Cards (Ejections)

  1. Player must leave the field immediately
  2. Cannot remain near the bench
  3. Team plays short-handed
  4. Suspension starts immediately
  5. Suspension carries over through playoffs/following season.

9. 🔵 Blue Cards (Temporary Dismissal)

  1. 3+ minute dismissal (referee discretion)
  2. Player may be substituted
  3. Player may return after time expires

10. Players Discipline Tracking

 

Responsibility of Team Officials

All Team Officials, including the Coach, Manager, and Team Owner, are responsible for tracking and managing player discipline throughout the season.

 

Scope of Responsibility


This responsibility includes, but is not limited to, monitoring:

a. Red cards

b. Yellow cards

c. Suspensions and penalties

d. Active and inactive player status


League Notifications

This responsibility applies regardless of whether the league provides disciplinary notifications.


Return Following Major Suspension

Any player suspended for more than six (6) games in a season must complete a Player Request to Return to VMSL Form and obtain league approval before being permitted to return to play in any division.


Player Activation Request

If a player does not appear on the team roster due to suspension, the team and/or player must request player activation by contacting VMSL at info@vmsl.ca at least twenty-four (24) hours before the scheduled match.


Advance Notice Requirement

The 24-hour advance notice is required to allow VMSL sufficient time to verify and process activation requests for players serving major suspensions. Requests submitted on the day of the match will be rejected without exception.


Invalid Request Methods

Phone calls or text messages to any league director will not be accepted as an official request and will not be considered valid.


Consequence of Unauthorized Participation

Any team that allows a player to participate without proper activation, or whose name does not appear on the official game sheet, shall forfeit the match.


Additional Discipline

In addition to forfeiture, the team and/or player may be subject to further disciplinary action and fines, regardless of the final match result.


Finality of League Decisions

All determinations made by VMSL under this section are final. No appeals will be accepted.

 

11. ⚠️ FULL DISCIPLINE PENALTY SCHEDULE

⚠️ Serious Foul Play Suspensions (Minimums)

  1. Dangerous tackle / serious foul play - First offence: 2 games / Second offence: 4 games
  2. Charging - First offence: 2 games / Second offence: 4 games
  3. Push from behind - First offence: 2 games / Second offence: 4 games
  4. Elbowing - First offence: 3 games / Second offence: 6 games
  5. Denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity (DOGSO) - First offence: 1 game / Second offence: 2 games
  6. Indiscriminate kicking of an opponent - First offence: 3 games / Second offence: 6 games
  7. Cynical foul - First offence: 1 game / Second offence: 2 games
  8. Handball preventing a goal - First offence: 1 game / Second offence: 2 games
  9. Other extenuating circumstances - Suspension at discretion of Discipline Chair or Committee

Note: Suspensions apply to next scheduled matches and may increase depending on severity.

12. 🔴 Violent Conduct Suspensions (Minimums)

  1. Attempt to strike - First offence: 3 games / Second offence: 6 games
  2. Striking - First offence: 6 games / Second offence: 10 games
  3. Punching - First offence: 6 games / Second offence: 10 games
  4. Elbowing - First offence: 6 games / Second offence: 10 games
  5. Pushing - First offence: 5 games / Second offence: 8 games
  6. Kicking - First offence: 6 games / Second offence: 10 games
  7. Propelling an object that strikes or attempts to strike - First offence: 6 games / Second offence: 10 games
  8. Causing bodily harm - First offence: 10 games / Second offence: Hearing required
  9. Biting / scratching / gouging - Possible Ban from the League
  10. Drawing blood - First offence: 10 games / Second offence: Ban from the League
  11. Fighting causing bodily harm - First offence: 6 games / Second offence: Ban from the League
  12. Instigator - First offence: Minimum 6 games / Second offence: Minimum 12 games
  13. Retaliator - First offence: Minimum 6 games / Second offence: Minimum 12 games
  14. Head butt - May be banned from the League
  15. Other extenuating circumstances - At discretion of Discipline Chair or Committee

13. 🚫 Automatic League Ban Offences

  1. Biting
  2. Scratching or gouging
  3. Headbutting
  4. Spitting on any player, opponent, teammate, or referee

14. 🚫 Other Major Offences (Minimums)

  1. Boarding - First offence: 2 games / Second offence: Minimum 5 games
  2. Illegal entry onto the field (except substitution) - First offence: 8 games / Second offence: Minimum 16 games
  3. Altercation / fighting - First offence: 6 games / Second offence: Minimum 12 games
  4. Returning after ejection - First offence: Minimum 10 games / Second offence: Minimum 20 games
  5. Returning after ejection and committing another offence - First offence: Minimum 10 games / Second offence: Minimum 20 games
  6. Dissent by gesture - First offence: 3 games / Second offence: Minimum 6 games
  7. Dissent by verbal remarks - First offence: 3 games / Second offence: Minimum 6 games
  8. Other extenuating circumstances - At discretion of Discipline Chair or Committee

15. 👔 Discipline for Coaches & Officials

  • 1st offence → 3 game suspension
  • 2nd offence → 6 game suspension
  • 3rd offence → hearing and possible expulsion

Note: Spitting may result in a red card and severe discipline.

16. ⚖️ Discipline Committee Powers

  1. Increase or reduce suspensions
  2. Issue fines
  3. Hold hearings
  4. Expel players or teams
  5. Enforce bans across leagues

17. ⚖️ Discipline Hearings

  1. Minimum 48 hours notice
  2. Committee of 3+ members
  3. Legal counsel allowed
  4. Written decision within 15 working days

18.📄 Protests

  1. Deadline: Within 2 business days
  2. Requirements: Official form + $250 fee (refundable if successful)

19.⚖️ Appeals Process

  1. File within 2 business days
  2. Written appeal required
  3. $250 fee
  4. Team accounts must be current

Decision outcomes: Uphold / reduce / increase / overturn

20. ⚠️ Special Cases

  1. Assault on referee → ASA referral
  2. Criminal charges → possible suspension pending outcome
  3. Suspended players cannot play for any VMSL team

21. 📊 What the Committee Reviews

  1. Incident details
  2. Type of offence
  3. Intent and force
  4. Ball in play or not
  5. Instigation or retaliation
  6. Language used
  7. Injury
  8. Behaviour after red card
  9. Player history

22. 📝 Referee Report Process

  1. Submitted within 72 hours
  2. Sent to info@vmsl.ca and ASA if required

23. 📞 Key Contacts

Bruce Mintz
bruce@vmsl.ca

✅ Core Principle

Respect, fair play, and safety.

24. 🎥 Video Camera Review & Game Footage

Purpose

To capture clear and traceable footage of all VMSL games at Viktoria Soccer Centre, particularly incidents that may occur outside the referee’s view.

 

Use Cases for Video Review

Video footage may be used to:

  • Provide evidence for protests, appeals, and disciplinary actions

  • Support safety, security, and monitoring of games and facility areas

  • Review aggressive incidents occurring outside the referee’s view

  • Verify red card incidents that were not fully seen by the referee

  • Review player ejections where a dispute or appeal is raised

Coverage

  1. Quantity: 16 new 8K video surveillance cameras

  2. Locations: Both soccer fields and hallway areas within the facility

  3. Scope: Covers all VMSL games and other activities within designated monitored zones

Access

  1. Bring USB
  2. Contact Facility Managers for copy of the video evidence showing the incident when requesting reviews or filing appeals.

Facility Managers

Jurgen – Rolland – Mike 
📞 780-903-4420 / 📧 jwelz@hotmail.com

25. Responsibility

Teams are responsible for obtaining and submitting their own video evidence to VMSL when requesting reviews or filing appeals.

26. Authorization

Only VMSL / Viktoria SC may release recordings.

27. Disciplinary Use

 

Video footage may be used by VMSL to:

  • Review incidents occurring during games

  • Investigate and pursue disciplinary action or suspensions

  • Enforce compliance with league rules, regulations, and the Laws of the Game

  • Address misconduct that may harm the reputation of the league or the sport

Incident Examples Requiring Video Review

Video review may be requested in cases such as:

  • Aggressive incidents occurring outside the referee’s view that result in injury

  • Red card offences that were not fully observed by the referee

  • Player ejections related to incidents occurring outside the referee’s view

Conduct After the Final Whistle

Even though the match has ended, confronting or arguing with a referee after the final whistle is considered misconduct.

This behavior can:

  • escalate into abuse, intimidation, or threats

  • undermine match control and league authority

  • create unsafe environments for officials and players

  • damage respect for the game

    • Most leagues and associations handle disputes through formal reporting channels, not direct confrontation.
    • Players, coaches, managers, team staff, and club owners are not permitted to challenge or dispute referee decisions after the match has ended.
    • Referees remain accountable through post-game reports, evaluations, and formal complaints, not through direct confrontation.

28. Possible Consequences for Post-Match Misconduct

1. Verbal Warning or Incident Report

For minor complaints without abusive language, a referee may:

  • issue a verbal warning

  • document the incident in the match report

  • submit it to the League for review

Repeated or persistent arguing may still result in disciplinary action.

2. Caution (Yellow Card) After the Match

Depending on competition rules, referees may issue a caution after the final whistle for:

  • dissent

  • unsporting behavior

  • refusal to leave the field area

This commonly applies to coaches or team officials in the technical area.

3. Send-Off (Red Card) After the Match

Serious misconduct may result in an immediate send-off for:

  • abusive or insulting language

  • threatening behavior

  • attempting to intimidate or surround the referee

  • spitting

  • physical contact

  • violent conduct

A red card issued after the final whistle carries full disciplinary consequences.

4. Removal From the Field Area

Match officials may order any individual to leave the field area if their behavior is inappropriate or threatening.

Failure to comply may result in further disciplinary action.

5. Fines

Leagues may impose fines for:

  • dissent toward match officials

  • abuse or harassment of referees

  • failure to control team officials or supporters

  • repeated misconduct

  • abandoning matches without valid cause

  • failing to appear for scheduled games

In some cases, the fine may be imposed on the club as well as, or instead of, the individual, depending on the circumstances.

6. Suspensions

Suspensions may range depending on the severity of the misconduct:

  • minor dissent: 1–2 matches

  • abusive or threatening conduct: multiple matches

  • serious intimidation, discrimination, or physical contact: season-long suspension

Repeat offenders may face progressively stronger penalties.

7. Additional Penalties for Clubs or Owners

Club owners, directors, or team representatives may also face discipline, including:

  • bans from attending matches

  • removal of club privileges

  • disciplinary probation

  • forfeits or point deductions in serious or repeated cases

Leagues typically apply stricter discipline when misconduct comes from individuals in positions of authority.

29. Proper Way to Hold Referees Accountable

Concerns regarding referee performance must be addressed through official League processes, including:

  • post-game reports

  • referee evaluation forms

  • disciplinary submissions

  • formal complaints filed with the League

These processes ensure incidents are handled fairly and consistently.

30. Guiding Principle

Participants must not approach referees to dispute decisions.

If communication is necessary:

  • keep it brief.

  • remain respectful.

  • ask for clarification only, not argument.

  • communicate through the team captain or coach when permitted.

  • leave immediately if the referee requests it.

31.VMSL Business Hours & Communication Policy – Summary

 

1. Business Hours

  • Monday – Friday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM

  • Emails/messages sent outside these hours (evenings or weekends) will not be monitored until the next business day.

2. Official Communication Method

All league matters must be communicated only by email: 📧 info@vmsl.ca

 

Not allowed:

  • Texting league directors

  • Calling league directors

  • Approaching directors during matches to discuss issues

These attempts will be ignored.

3. Complaints & Discussions with Directors

Players and coaches must not approach league directors during games or in person about:

  • Rules

  • Referees

  • Game results

  • League issues

If someone does this and an argument or dispute occurs, the league will consider it an unofficial complaint and will not investigate it because the proper procedure wasn’t followed.

4. During Games

Only referees may be approached for:

  • Rule clarifications

Requirements:

  • Must be respectful

  • Only about rules, not league decisions.

5. Official League Responses

The league will respond only through:

6. Team Responsibility Before Contacting the League

Teams must:

  • Read and understand VMSL Rules and Bylaws first

If a question is already clearly explained in the rules, the league:

  • Will not respond

  • Will not spend administrative resources on it.

7. Response Time

The league typically responds within:

⏱ 48 hours

(depending on urgency).

8. Game Protest Deadline

If a team wants to file a protest about a game:

⏰ It must be submitted within 48 hours after the game.

Late protests:

  • Will not be reviewed

  • Will not be acknowledged

  • Will not receive any response

No replay or reconsideration will be allowed.

 

32. Amendments, Variations, and the Right to Amend

VMSL reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to amend, vary, change, or add to the terms of the VMSL Bylaws & Rules of the Game at any time. VMSL also reserves the right to change, delete, discontinue, suspend, or impose conditions on any feature or aspect of VMSL. Where practicable, VMSL will provide notice of any such amendment or change to members in advance, and continued participation in VMSL after notice constitutes acceptance of the amended terms.

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