NDTA operates under the standard guidelines provided by TFA/ATA and found in the rulebook. A player can be reported as a result of any serious infringements of the rules, such as referee/player abuse, striking or consistent disregard for the rules of the sport.
You are reminded that touch is a “minimal contact” sport and everyone has a responsibility to avoid heavy or dangerous contact. Referees have been instructed to record player and team names involved in rough play, and if a pattern of repeat offenders emerges, the player and or the team will be penalised. Penalties may include player suspension, team loss of competition points, or a player or team being removed from the competition. Ref’s have also been requested to penalise “careless” play that results in heavy contact… even if it was not intentional.
NDTA regards rough play, referee abuse and unsporting behaviour as very serious offences and encourage referees to enforce their authority to the full extent of the rules. The club will not hesitate to impose suspensions or even order players or teams from the competition if warranted. If players can’t be mature enough to accept the referee’s decision and just play on, “even if the ref is wrong”, then they shouldn’t be playing touch. This is not to say that ref’s are not open to polite enquiry on technical points by the team captain, but dispute over judgement calls will not be entered into, and approaching ref’s in an aggressive matter is a serious offence. Any player sent from the field for the remainder of the game will receive an automatic two (2) match suspension but a Judiciary hearing may be convened and consider further action.
Any player who is given a period of time more than once in any one game, will also receive an automatic two (2) match suspension. Any player who received three (3) periods of time over the competition will receive an automatic two (2) match suspension, but a judiciary hearing may be convened and consider further action. A two (2) match suspension is to be served for the following two (2) games in which the team actually plays. Byes do not count as a game played. A team that wins by a forfeit will count, however, a team losing by a forfeit will not count.
This doesn’t just go for social. This is across the board, inclusive of any player with poor / disrespectful behaviour towards others on and off the field or players that represent the club at Super Series and States Titles.