At some stage in your Raiders management career (and certainly in the older age groups), your players will be on the wrong end of Yellow or Red Cards by league appointed referees.
Fines
For a disciplinary breach, the Club is fined:
- Yellow Card £12
- Red Card £35 – £55
In normal circumstances, the fine is incurred by the player. The Club will pay the fine, but the Manager will need to seek repayment of the fine from the player and reimburse the Club.
Can the Club appeal a Yellow Card?
There are no appeals against yellow cards. If a manager feels that a yellow card shouldn’t have been issued they can email Herts FA or low score the referee, and provide a supporting explanation.
Can the Club appeal a Red Card?
A Red Card results in immediate suspension for three games.
Clubs can appeal certain red cards on the basis of wrongful dismissal. There is a £30 fee to lodge an appeal.
If a manager wishes to appeal a Red Card, he/she MUST text/email the Club Administrator immediately after the match with their intentions. The Club Administrator can then monitor the FA’s Whole Game System (WGS) for the Red Cards to appear. (They appear anytime between Monday and Tuesday morning) and get the appeal process underway. The rules don’t allow much time to do this.
An appeal, has to be sanctioned by the Football Committee Chairman who will take a view on whether the appeal has a chance of being upheld. Unless you can prove that the referee has made an obvious error, this is very unlikely.
Herts FA Guidelines on Claims for Wrongful Dismissal
What can be appealed?
All red cards with the exception of those for use of offensive or insulting or abusive language/gestures (S6) and receiving a second caution in a game (S7). For an appeal to be successful, you must prove that the referee made an obvious error in sending the player off.
How can the claim be lodged?
Claims can be lodged through the Whole Game System, by clicking “Lodge Claim” in the case page, or by contacting the Hertfordshire FA offices.
When do we need to lodge the claim?
The club must lodge their intent to claim within two working days of the game and submit all evidence, along with the appeal fee (£50 Steps 5-7, £30 non-NLS) within four working days of the game. Video evidence must be submitted if available.
Please note these time lines are from the date of the game, not the date the notification is received:
| Date of game | Intent to claim submitted | Evidence submitted |
| Saturday | Tuesday | Thursday |
| Sunday | Tuesday | Thursday |
| Monday | Wednesday | Friday |
| Tuesday | Thursday | Monday |
| Wednesday | Friday | Tuesday |
| Thursday | Monday | Wednesday |
| Friday | Tuesday | Thursday |
If you think a referee made a mistake in sending a player off, we recommend you contact the Football Services team immediately!
What happens next?
The referee report and all evidence submitted by the club will be passed to a County Disciplinary Commission within eight working days of the match, or before an automatic penalty is due to start. The player, club and referee are not invited to attend the hearing. You will be notified of the outcome of the appeal immediately following the hearing.
What happens if the claim is successful?
If the red card is overturned, the punishment will be withdrawn and the appeal fee returned.
Where I can find out more information?
The full regulations relating to Claims for Wrongful Dismissals can be found on pages 417-418 of The FA Handbook or you can contact the Football Services team on 01462 677622.