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ORU DISCIPLINARY CODE

Section 1: Disciplinary Committee

1.1 Membership

  1. The Disciplinary Committee, referred to as the Full Committee, shall consist of a Disciplinary Committee Chairman and two (2) Division Coordinators.  No active member of the ORRS shall serve as a member of the Disciplinary Committee.
  2. The Disciplinary Committee Chairman, hereinafter referred to as the  Chairman,  shall be the(or a) Vice President of the Ohio Rugby Union (ORU).
  3. Each Division Coordinator, hereinafter referred to as thea Coordinator,  shall be the Executive Director of thehis or her respective ORU division.

1.2 Authority and Responsibility

  1. Chairman
    1. The Chairman shall reside over all meetings of the Full Committee.
    2. The Chairman shall have the authority and responsibility to:
      1. Recognize repeat violations by an individual person or club;
      2. Ensure timely response from the Coordinators on disciplinary matters and  timely convening of the Full Committee;
      3. Ensure timely publication of disciplinary actions to the ORU President, and, as appropriate, the President of the offending individual's club, the President  of the offended club, and the Director of Referees;
      4. Permanently record the findings and penalties of the Full Committee and  Coordinators.
  2. Coordinator
    1. The Coordinator shall only render disciplinary actions for violations  arising within their respective division of play.
    2. The Coordinator shall have the authority and responsibility to:
      1. Investigate Playing and Non-Playing Violations properly referred to it;
      2. Reconfirm or modify the extent of culpability;
      3. Pronounce penalty for culpability in accordance with the guidelines  recommended within this Code.
    3. All findings and penalties published by the Coordinator shall be subject to  appeal to the Full Committee.
  3. Full Committee
    1. The Full Committee shall have the authority and responsibility to:
      1. Review Coordinator findings and penalties on Playing and Non-Playing Violations;
      2. Reconfirm or modify the extent of culpability;
      3. Pronounce penalty for culpability in accordance with the guidelines  recommended within this Code.
    2. There is no appeal from the findings or penalties of the Full Committee

1.3 Amendments to Disciplinary Code

  1. The Full Committee shall have the authority to consider and adopt, with or without modification, amendments to this Disciplinary Code submitted to it by an elected officer of either:
    1. The ORU,; or
    2. A Member Club, in good standing, of the ORU.
  2. The Full Committee shall have the authority to adopt amendments at its own initiation and deliberation.

Section 2: Extent of Culpability

2.1 Admission of Evidence

  1. The principal evidence for a disciplinary matter presented before the  Disciplinary Committee shall be submitted in writing.  In the case of a Playing Violation, the principal evidence shall be the referee's Disciplinary Report  (Appendix III).
  2. The Executive Director or the Full Committee has the discretionary authority to admit or request additional evidence for confirmation or rebuttal of the principal evidence.  The additional evidence may be written or oral, at the Committee's discretion.

2.2 Committee Consensus

  1. Chairman
    1. In the event of a difference of opinion between the Chairman and the Executive Director , the Chairman shall refer the disciplainarydisciplinary  action to the Full Committee.
  2. Full Committee
    1. The findings of the Full Committee will be determined by majority vote.  In  the event of a tie vote, the Chairman shall exercise a tie-breaking vote.
    2. In reviewing an Executive Director's decision during appeal, the Chairman  and that particular Executive Director are permitted to change an opinion  previously held, with or without the introduction of new evidence

Section 3: Playing Violations

3.1  Responsibility For Control

  1. Playing Violations, as defined in this Code, are subject to the authority  and control of the match referee.

3.2 Procedure for Disciplinary Action

  1. All disciplinary action as the result of a Playing Violation shall originate from the match referee.
  2. The referee shall determine the offender's name and club affiliation at the  time of the incident.
  3. The referee shall prepare a formal Disciplinary Report; send the original to the Disciplinary Committee Chairman; and send a copy to the Director, Referees
  4. The Disciplinary Committee Chairman shall contact and provide the evidence to the Executive Director of the Division in which the violation occurred for their ruling on the matter.
  5. The Executive Director shall determine whether additional evidence is  necessary, and shall request or admit additional evidence as deemed appropriate.
  6. The Executive Director shall consider all appropriate evidence to determine  the extent of culpability, and shall pronounce penalty in accordance with the guidelines recommended.

3.3 Procedure of Appeal

  1. All appeals against the findings or penalties of an Executive Director's disciplinary action shall be made in writing.  The original shall be sent to the  Disciplinary Committee Chairman and a copy shall be sent to the Director, Referees.
  2. The Disciplinary Committee Chairman shall contact each Executive Director to convene the Full Committee, which may be convened by a meeting, telephone, fax,  mail, email, or Internet.
  3. The Full Committee shall determine whether additional evidence is necessary, and shall request or admit additional evidence as deemed appropriate.
  4. The Full Committee shall consider all appropriate evidence to determine the  extent of culpability, and shall pronounce penalty in accordance with the  guidelines recommended.

3.4 Determination of Penalty

  1. The recommendations of Section 3.5 are to be construed as guidelines only  not as invariable rules.
  2. The Executive Director and Full Committee have the discretionary authority to increase or decrease the recommended penalty, depending upon the circumstances or the case, including the disciplinary record of the offender,  but subject to the mandatory requirement that a player ejected for a match  before no-side must be suspended for a minimum of two matches or two weeks.  It is recommended that the applied penalty shall for the longer period of time.
  3. When a suspended player deliberately plays before completion of the  suspension, the new violation shall be escalated to the next higher offense of the original category, subject to a minimum of 8 weeks or 8 matches.

3.5 Recommended Penalties

      The recommended penalty for each offense is the longer period of time.

    Category I: Repeat infringement of any Law of the Game {Law 26 (3) (I).

    1st Offense

    2 weeks    or   2 matches

    2nd Offense

    4 weeks    or   4 matches

    3rd Offense

    8 weeks    or   8 matches
    Category II: Foul play or misconduct {Law 26 (3) except Law 26 (3) (I).

    1st Offense

    2 weeks    or   2 matches

    2nd Offense

    4 weeks    or   4 matches

    3rd Offense

    8 weeks  or  8 matches
    Category III: Disputing a  referee's decision, failure to respect the referee's authority {Law 6}.

    1st Offense

    2 weeks    or   2 matches

    2nd Offense

    4 weeks    or   4 matches

    3rd Offense

    12 Months
    Category IV: Aggressive or belligerent verbal attacks on the referee, explicit or implied threats to the physical well being of the referee.

    1st Offense

    12 Months

    2nd Offense

    Banned for Life
    Category V: Actual malicious physical  contact with a referee or damage to a referee's property.

    1st Offense

    Banned for Life

S ection 4: Non-Playing Violations

4.1  Responsibility For Control

  1. Non-Playing Violations, as defined in this Code, are outside the limits and  authority and control of the match referee, and as such become the responsibility and control of the clubs.  Any Non-Playing Violation by any  member of a club shall reflect on the club, and the club shall be accountable.

4.2 Procedure for Disciplinary Action

  1. All disciplinary action as the result of a Non-Playing Violation may be  initiated by any member of any Member Club of the ORU, or by any member of the  ORRS.
  2. The individual initiating the disciplinary action shall determine the  offender's name and club affiliation at the time of the incident.
  3. The individual initiating the disciplinary action shall prepare a formal written report providing full details of the violation; and shall send the  original to the Disciplinary Committee Chairman.
  4. The Disciplinary Committee Chairman shall contact and provide the evidence to the Executive Director of the Division in which the violation occurred for their ruling on the matter.
  5. The Executive Director shall determine whether additional evidence is  necessary, and shall request or admit additional evidence as deemed appropriate.
  6. The Executive Director shall consider all appropriate evidence to determine  the extent of culpability, and shall pronounce penalty in accordance with the guidelines recommended..

4.3 Procedure of Appeal

  1. All appeals against the findings or penalties of an Executive Director's disciplinary action shall be made in writing.  The original shall be sent to the  Disciplinary Committee Chairman .
  2. The Disciplinary Committee Chairman shall contact each Executive Director to convene the Full Committee, which may be convened by a meeting, telephone, fax,  mail, email, or Internet.
  3. The Full Committee shall determine whether additional evidence is necessary, and shall request or admit additional evidence as deemed appropriate.
  4. The Full Committee shall consider all appropriate evidence to determine the  extent of culpability, and shall pronounce penalty in accordance with the  guidelines recommended.

4.4 Determination of Penalty

  1. The recommendations of Section 4.5 are to be construed as guidelines only  not as invariable rules.
  2. The Executive Director and Full Committee have the discretionary authority to increase or decrease the recommended penalty, depending upon the circumstances or the case, including the disciplinary record of the offender.
  3. The remedy for a Non-Playing Violation committed by a member of the general  public, who is not affiliated with the ORU, may lie in filing a report with the  local police department.

3.5 Recommended Penalties

Category I: Aggressive or belligerent verbal attacks on the referee  or touch judges, explicit or implied threats to the physical well being of the referee or touch judges

1st Offense

$25.00

2nd Offense

$50.00

3rd Offense

$100.00
Category II: Actual malicious physical contact with a referee or touch judge, malicious damage to a referee's or touch judge's property.

1st Offense

$50.00

2nd Offense

$100.00

3rd Offense

Discretionary Fine
Category III: Playing a suspended player before completion of suspension.

1st Offense

$50.00 and Forfeit Match

2nd Offense

$100.00 and  Forfeit Match

3rd Offense

Discretionary Fine and Forfeit Match
Category IV: Non-payment of fine assessed according to this Code within 90 days.

1st Offense

Double Previous Fine

2nd Offense

Double Previous Fine

3rd Offense

Double Previous Fine
Category V: Other  offenses detrimental to the game of Rugby.

1st Offense

Double Previous Fine

2nd Offense

Double Previous Fine

3rd Offense

Double Previous Fine
 

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