Case Number:

ON/1239/22

Alex Foster #11, Newcastle

Competition:

Championship

Match:

Newcastle Thunder v Bradford Bulls

Match Date:

2022-07-08

Incident:

Contact with Match Official

Decision:

Charge

Charge Detail:

Law 15.1 (i)

Physical assault of a match official

Grade F

Fine:

£250

Sanctions:

8+

Decision On Charge

Player plea:

Guilty

Summary of CM's submissions on the Charge / evidence:

Following a Match Review Panel meeting held on 14 July 2022, you are charged with misconduct for a breach of Law 15.1(i) Contact with Match Official during the above match.

The Panel reviewed an incident which occurred at 00:14:00 SharePoint time of the above match. You were sin binned following the incident. In the Panel’s opinion you pushed the match referee and in the referee’s report you told him to ‘get out of the way'. The Panel believe that your actions were unnecessary, against the spirit of the game and had the potential to injure that official.

In accordance with the RFL’s On Field Sentencing Guidelines, the Panel consider that such offence is a Grade F offence in breach of Law 15.1(i) – Physical Assault of a Match Official.

The normal suspension range for such offence is 8+ matches or period of suspension.

• Match Review Panel reviewed incident at SharePoint Time 00:14:00 of the match.
• Player is stood on try line, looks twice and can clearly see referee is there.
• Referee is distinguishable due to his different coloured clothing.
• Player makes a movement off the try-line with both arms pushed out towards referee.
• It isn’t purely spur of the moment with an element of pre-meditation. Player shouts “get out of the way”.
• No need whatsoever to make contact with referee with such degree of force in this pushing/shoving manner. Player could have avoided the referee.
• Charged under Law 15.1(i) – Physical assault of a match official (eg: pushing/shoving).
• Referees are given very strong protection and respect in the game and this an element of the utmost importance which must be upheld.

Summary of Player's submissions on the Charge / evidence:

Player in attendance alongside Denis Betts (Director of Rugby). Player pleads Guilty but challenges the grading.

DB talked the panel through the incident. he explained the AF was defending close to his own try line and was very close to the Referee. The sun was also in his eyes and that as he moved forward he made contact with the Referee with his arms straight. This was not a push but a technique called “check and release” which AF used in order to move the Referee out of the way. DB explained that this technique is used by defenders on opponents who are without the ball and come into the defensive line.

He added that AF used the words “get out of the way” after contact had been made and not before. He also informed the panel that AF had apologised to the Referee at half-time.

The Referee also joined the hearing to answer any questions. He said that he recalled the words been said before contact and that the force was felt, although it was not overly hard, however, he did feel a push.

DB added that the term “assault” was something you would expect wot be used in some form of attack and that this was not assault.

AF then addressed the panel and reiterated the points made by DB. He explained he had shown remorse and was sorry that contact had been made with the Referee. He is aware that players should not lay their hands on a match official and understand that following the incident he would be receiving some kind of ban. AF felt that in this contest this was not an “assault” and he talked the panel through the incident before adding this kind of thing was not in his nature.

Decision:

Guilty plea

Decision On Sanction (where found to have committed Misconduct)

Summary of CM's submissions on the appropriate sanction:

• Grade F due to:
• Deliberate physical contact with the referee
• Level of force - Forceful push/shove o Element of pre-meditation – looks twice and shouts
• Match Official unsighted and unable to evade contact
• Player seemingly shows no remorse following his actions
• Ethos of disciplinary system to support and protect Match Officials
• Actions are contrary to the spirit of the game
• Impact on the game on a whole as a result of such misconduct
• Such incidents cannot be accepted or normalised within the sport.

Aggravating Factors:

04/06/18 – Caution (Other Contrary Behaviour)

Reasons for Decision:

The panel think that this was not an attempt to move the Referee to one side.

They are of the opinion that this was a deliberate push to get him out of the way, albeit one done in order to ensure that the player could defend the line, rather than in any way to deliberately show aggression towards the Referee.

However, as a “shove” it satisfies the charge and is therefore at the appropriate grade. The other charge of deliberate or reckless contact with a Match Official is not in the panels view meant to deal with situations such as these.

The player is therefore suspended for 8 matches and fined £250.

Suspension:

8 matches