Suspension - KC Soccer - Suspension to Trainer, Marasue |
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Commissioner's Rulings
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2013-14 SeasonSeptember 13, 2013
Facts: Mike Marasue is the KC Men’s Soccer trainer. On September 7, 2013 he was ejected during a KC match. KC played next on September 8, 2013 against NAIT, a match which ended tied 1-1. During the September 8 NAIT match, Mr. Marasue did not sit on the KC bench nor did he enter the field to deal with injured players. However, he was physically located behind the KC team bench within the covered team area. Ruling: The relevant Operating Code Sections are copied below. From Article I Section 13: 9.1. Suspension in a League Match: All suspensions that arise from card offences, physical contact and ejections shall be served in the next scheduled game. 9.8. Ejection from A League Match: If a coach/player is ejected from a league match, he/she must serve the suspension in the next scheduled league match. 9.9.2. Coach Ejections/Suspensions: Coaches ejected from the match or serving suspensions will not be permitted to have any contact with their teams 20 minutes prior to a match and until the conclusion of the match. That is, he/she will not be allowed in the playing facility and any connected viewing area. From Article III Section 1: 2.2. Coaches, Managers, Directors, Other Staff Members or Delegates 2.2.1. Violations 2.2.1.1. He violates any provision of the Operating Code or other rules of the Conference either with his knowledge, or under such circumstances that there exists a duty on his part to know about such violation; 2.2.1.4. A coach, manager, director, other staff member, or delegate, held by the proper Conference authority to be in violation may, by such authority, be: 2.2.1.7. Subjected to other reasonable penalty; Although a team trainer is not listed in Rule 9.8, it is my opinion that Mr. Marasue’s ejection should have resulted in a suspension being served during the September 8 game. The issue is whether Mr. Marasue was bound by Rule 9.9.2 and, if so, whether he complied with that rule. In my opinion, if Rule 9.9.2 applied to Mr. Marasue, then he did not comply with the portion of the rule requiring him to not be allowed “in the playing facility and any connected viewing area.” Appreciating that there are differences between a coach and a member of a team’s medical staff, if Rule 9.9.2 does not apply to Mr. Marasue, then he is bound by the provisions of Article III Section I Rule 2.2, which covers the actions of a “staff member or delegate.” Based on the above, I rule that Mr. Marasue is to serve his one (1) game suspension on September 14, 2013 vs. GPRC, ensuring that he complies with the provisions of Rule 9.9.2. In addition, KC is ordered to pay a $500 fine, payable forthwith to the ACAC Office. Sincerely, |
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