Discipline Reports

• Division I and II Disciplinary Reporting System
• Online Discipline Reporting
• League Reporting Procedures
• Red & Yellow Cards Explained (PDF)
• Mississippi Soccer Association Confirmation Procedures
• Suspension Report (PDF*)
• Disciplinary Actions (PDF*)
• Discipline Chair Login
• Other Committee Actions
• Misconduct toward Game Officials
  • Terms
  • Jurisdiction and Hearings
  • Penalties, Suspensions and Appeals
  • Procedures for Reporting Assault and Abuse

Objective: The objective of the Disciplinary Reporting System is to provide a vehicle through which the Mississippi Youth Soccer Association (Mississippi Soccer Association) can monitor and control the discipline of its players, coaches, and managers during play in the Division I League, Division II play, Mississippi Soccer Association tournaments and other USYSA sanctioned tournaments. This will allow “the good of the game” to take first priority.

Scope: All ejections issued in any Division I and Division II (U16 and above )match must be reported, and all penalties apply to all Division I and II personnel, including players, Head Coaches, Assistant Coaches and Team Managers.

Governing Body: The Mississippi Soccer Association Council shall be the governing body with final authority as applies to all incidents, questions, decisions and appeals arising out of the Disciplinary reporting system.

Mississippi Soccer Association Disciplinary Committee: Not withstanding the foregoing, however, the Mississippi Soccer Association Disciplinary Committee shall, between meetings of the Mississippi Soccer Association Council, act with full decision-making authority regarding any incidents, questions, decisions, actions or appeals arising from the Disciplinary Reporting System provided, however, that any act taken by the Disciplinary Committee is subject to change, override, alteration or modification by the Mississippi Soccer Association Council at its next regularly scheduled or specially called meeting. All actions of the Mississippi Soccer Association Disciplinary Committee shall require a majority vote thereof.

Reporting: It is the sole responsibility of the team manager and league officials to report cautions and ejections. Referees will submit game reports for all Mississippi Soccer Association League Play, Mississippi Soccer Association Sanctioned Tournaments and State and District Tournaments. Mississippi Soccer Association will receive misconduct reports from USYSA Sanctioned tournaments in which Mississippi Soccer Association teams participate.

Pre-Game Agreements: As cautions and ejections are duties and powers of the referee in the Laws of the Game, no team or team official may enter into an agreement asking or requiring the referees to not issue cautions or ejections in any match. Coaches, players, teams and referees found to be involved in such actions shall be suspended from all play, coaching duties or officiating until such time as the Executive Council shall meet to review the violation and issue additional penalties, if any.

Cautions and Ejections: It shall be the responsibility of each teams manager or other league designated person to report each and every Caution or Ejection online monthly basis. Reports should be submitted online no later than 10 days following expiration of the particular reporting month.

State Tournament Competition: In the event an MSA Qualifying, District, or State Tournament is held prior to the tenth day of a particular month, reporting must be received on the Monday following the last Sunday prior to the tournament date.

Details of the incident resulting in the Caution or Ejection shall likewise be reported therewith on the MSA reporting form provided to the League. For the purposes of reporting, two cautions received in the same game should be reported as an ejection only. Also, ejections resulting from striking and/or fighting will count as two ejections for accumulation purposes. Each League shall determine and adopt its own system for local reporting of such incidents and relevant facts relating thereto. Statistics relating to the number and nature of each and every Caution or Ejection shall be maintained by each league for purposes of imposing the disciplinary actions outlined herein below.

League Certification: Each monthly report submitted by the team manager online, by its submission shall be considered true representation of all Cautions and Ejections for that reporting period.

Negative Reporting: Reports shall be made online indicating that no ejections or cautions have been received by its teams. This negative reporting ensures that all organizations are monitoring and participating in the process.

Special Rules for MSA State Cup: A “running total” of all Cautions and Ejections shall be maintained on a “per season basis”. A “season” shall be defined as period commencing on each August 1 and terminating at the conclusion of the final match on the first Sunday prior to the  State Cup, if the team competes in League Play, otherwise on the following July 31. A regularly scheduled game is defined as an MSA State League Game or the next USYS Sanctioned Tournament game. If, at the conclusion of League Play, a player has accumulated the requisite number of cautions and/or ejections to require suspension, that suspension shall carry over to the State Cup. If, however, the player does not, all disciplinary cautions and/or ejections shall be declared void and the player shall enter the State Cup with no disciplinary cautions or ejections on record. Suspensions earned during the final game of the State Cup shall be served in the next game of the Region III Tournament.

Periodic Confirmation Reports: Periodic Confirmation reports shall be provided by the MSA Disciplinary Chairperson to each League Commissioner/President for the purposes of comparative analysis with league records. Copies of all such reports shall likewise be provided to all members of the MSA Council.

Discrepancies: Where discrepancies exist between MSA Disciplinary Committee records and local league records, MSA Disciplinary Committee records shall prevail unless and until such time as verification acceptable to the MSA Disciplinary Committee is provided.

Periodicity: Periodic Confirmation reports shall be provided to each league not less than quarterly, although it is the objective of the Disciplinary Committee to provide such reports on a monthly basis.

Discipline Against a League: The Mississippi Soccer Association Disciplinary Committee shall recommend disciplinary action against any league found in violation of the Disciplinary Reporting System. Such recommendations are intended to discipline any League which fails to timely and correctly report all Cautions and Ejections and/or which fails to timely and correctly apply the appropriate discipline against the appropriate individual pursuant to the actions outlined herein.

Periodic Review: Not less frequently than a quarterly basis, the Mississippi Soccer Association Disciplinary Committee shall review all records and statistics on a per league basis and shall report to the Mississippi Soccer Association Council with respect to any concerns and recommended actions related thereto which are not otherwise covered herein.

Interpretations: Any interpretation of incident or actions pursuant to the Disciplinary Reporting System shall be made by the Mississippi Soccer Association Disciplinary Committee, subject to override, alteration, modification or other actions by the Mississippi Soccer Association Council as the Mississippi Soccer Association Council may deem appropriate.

Appeals: Any and all appeals by an individual regarding decisions or actions taken by the Mississippi Soccer Association Disciplinary Committee shall be made in writing and delivered to the Mississippi Soccer Association Disciplinary Committee Chairman with a copy thereof provided to the Mississippi Soccer Association President. Such appeals shall include all relevant information including, but not limited to, the specific issue being appealed, the date and timing of such issue, the facts and circumstances surrounding each issue, and the grounds upon which such an appeal is being made.

Meetings: The Mississippi Soccer Association Disciplinary Committee shall meet as expeditiously as possible, either in person or by telephone, to rule on the appeal. The Mississippi Soccer Association Council shall serve as the appellate body for any decisions or actions made or taken by the Mississippi Soccer Association Disciplinary Committee. All decisions of the Mississippi Soccer Association Council shall be final and binding upon all parties.

Amendments: The Disciplinary Reporting System may only be amended by the Mississippi Soccer Association Council and shall require a majority vote thereof for any such amendments.

League Leadership: It is hoped that the leadership of each league will encourage its players, coaches, team managers and family members to place the “good of the game” as its first priority. The development of player skills, team spirit, competitive but safe play and good personal relationships must always dominate the involvement of every individual in the Mississippi Soccer Association.

Misconduct against referees may occur before, during and after the math, including travel to and from the match. Misconduct may occur also at later times when directly related to duties of a game official as a referee.

Terms and references

Referee includes the following:

• All currently registered USSF referees, linesmen, 4th officials or others duly appointed to assist in the officiating in a match.
• Any non-licensed, non-registered person serving in an emergency capacity as a referee.
• Any Club linesman

Referee assault is an intentional act of physical violence upon a referee. Assault includes, but is not limited to the following acts committed upon a referee: hitting, kicking, punching, choking, spitting at or on, grabbing or bodily running into a referee; the act of kicking or throwing any object at a referee that could inflict injury, damaging the referee's uniform or personal property, i.e. car, equipment, etc..

Referee abuse is verbal statement or physical act, which implies or threatens physical harm to a referee or the referee's property or equipment. Abuse includes, but is not limited to the following acts committed upon a referee: using foul or abusive language toward a referee; spewing any beverage on a referee's personal property, or verbally threatening a referee. 

NOTE: Verbal threats are remarks that carry the implied or direct threat of physical harm. Such remarks  as "I'll get you after the game" or "you won't get out of here in one piece", shall be deemed as referee abuse. 

Jurisdiction and Hearings

When any amateur, professional player, coach, manager, club official or game official assaults or abuses a referee, the original jurisdiction to adjudicate the matter shall vest immediately in the responsible National State Association ( Mississippi Soccer Association Disciplinary Committee or Mississippi Soccer Association Council) or Professional League which is affiliated with the United States Soccer Federation. When an allegation of assault is verified by the National State Association or the Professional League the person is automatically suspended until the hearing on the assault. The National State Association or Professional League must hold a hearing within thirty (30) days of the assault or, if applicable, the thirty-day period provided by Section 4 of this rule.  If the Association or League does not adjudicate the matter within that period of time, original jurisdiction shall immediately vest in the National Appeals Committee to adjudicate the matter, to which the same provisions as to the term of suspension shall apply. Failure to hold the initial hearing shall not rescind the automatic suspension. In cases of referee abuse, a hearing is held only when requested by the alleged assailant or otherwise deemed appropriate by the convening authority.

Events and Tournaments: In the event an assault on or abuse of a referee occurs in an event outside the player's home state, the referee shall (1) immediately notify the event/Tournament Chairman, and (2) forward a copy of the game report and his/her comments on the incident to the Event/Tournament Chairman and the National State Association President of the player's home state. 

Tournament Hearings: The Event/Tournament Chairman shall have the right to immediately convene a hearing at the site of the Event/Tournament, at which the player, his/her coach, and the game officials should be present. Information presented at this hearing shall promptly be relayed to the player's State President by the Event/Tournament Chairman, verbally and in writing; however, failure to provide written information shall not restrict the player's home State Association from taking action with regard to any assault. 

Final Jurisdiction: Final jurisdiction shall vest with the player's home National State Association and a hearing shall be held by that National State Association within thirty (30) days of the receipt of the initial report of the assault on a referee.

Rule Application: This rule shall supersede all rules of affiliated Divisions, Associations, and Professional Leagues  that pertain to assaults or abuse upon referees, linesmen, the manner and means of hearings, appeals, and rehearing  in matters pertaining thereto. Nothing in this rule shall be construed to restrict or limit any league, event/tournament, National State Association, or Professional League from applying equal or greater restrictions to anyone not listed in the Mississippi Soccer Association Administrative Manual of this rule ( i.e., a spectator associated with a club or team ). 

Penalties, Suspensions and Appeals

Penalties shall be as follows:

Assault: The player, coach, manager, or official committing the referee assault is automatically suspended for at least one  (1) year from the time of the assault, unless serious injuries are inflicted, then the minimum suspension will be at least five (5) years. The National State Association or Professional League adjudicating the matter may not provide shorter periods of suspension but, if circumstances warrant, may provide a longer period of suspension.

Referee Abuse: The minimum suspension period for referee abuse shall be at least three (3) scheduled matches within the rules of the competition. The National State Association or Professional League adjudicating the matter may provide a longer period of suspension when circumstances warrant (e.g., habitual offenders)

Appeals:

Assaults: A player, coach, manager, or official who is found to have committed the assault may appeal to the Appeals Committee by the following the procedures in the Mississippi Soccer Association Administrative Manual within thirty (30) days from receipt of the decision of the Association or League.

Abuse: A player, coach, manager, or official who is found to have committed the abuse may appeal the decision by following the appellate procedures of the respective National, State, Association, Division or Professional League.

Procedures for Reporting Assault and Abuse

Written Report: Referees shall transmit a written report of the alleged assault and/or abuse within 48 hours of the incident ( unless there is a valid reason for later reporting ) to the President of the National State Association or Professional League or their designees and the State Referee Administrator. For  tournaments or special events, the referee shall transmit a written report to the tournament director on the day of the incident and to his home state SRA within 10 days of the  incident.