In last week’s Inside the EFL, CEO Phil Murton discussed the changing community standards and expectations in regards to penalties.
There’s been plenty of discussion recently about penalties for acts of violence on the footy field. As community standards have shifted, so too has the expectation for what penalties are handed out to the perpetrators. This is a good thing.
The timing was right with the EFL Board, Executive and Independent Tribunal having been in discussions regarding the length of appropriate sanctions for acts of violence in EFL games.
The League holds the standards of everybody involved to a very high account and it is the rigour of the League’s disciplinary measures, including the Independent Tribunal & Appeals Process, that are the backbone of this.
We have always prided ourselves on being ahead of the curve with regards to the expectation of standards of behaviour and hope to continue to do so. As a result, we recently communicated to clubs that the League and Tribunal will be taking an even tougher stance on deliberate acts of violence on the football field.
With changing community standards regarding acts of violence, increased awareness and understanding of the impact of concussion, and the awareness of issues surrounding “one punch” actions, we wish to send a strong message to those involved in the EFL that any deliberate acts of violence that result in a player being concussed or injured will result in penalties more significant than what may have previously been deemed acceptable. This is particularly relevant for incidents that occur off the ball. While extremely rare, it is important that if incidents do occur, they are dealt with appropriately and in a way that is up with modern community standards.
Serious incidents aren’t something that happen too often. Over the last few years, we average 2 suspensions per year of six weeks or more. Given we have in excess of 4,500 games each year with 15,000 or so participants every weekend, they are very rare occurrences. But this is still two too many.
Historically, 8-10 weeks was about the most you’d get for something on the footy field. That’s probably increased to 10-12 in recent years but there’s scope for an even tougher stand to be taken. If you think back to Barry Hall’s strike on Brent Staker that resulted in a ban of seven weeks, considering what we know now, if that penalty was handed in for a similar incident in local footy I think we’d all say it was way too lenient.
The safety of those who play the game cleanly and in the right spirit is paramount for everyone. For those who choose to act outside of the rules, they should know there’ll be significant consequences that will put their playing career, both short and long term, at risk.
It’s a game that’s tough and hard enough without the threat of violence. We’ve come a long way from the old, “what happens on the field, stays on the field” mentality, but we can, and must, remain vigilant.
