2022-23 Season
February 24, 2023
To: Todd Caughlin, Athletic Director, Lethbridge College Terry Ballard, Athletic Director, Medicine Hat College
From: Mark Kosak, CEO on behalf of Alan Rogan, Acting Commissioner
Re: Request for Supplemental Ruling/Video February 21/23 ACAC Men’s Futsal South Regional Futsal Match MHC @ LETH
*At the request of ACAC Commissioner Bill Hendsbee, interim Commissioner Alan Rogan has been authorized to investigate and rule on this Extraordinary Video Review request received separately from both MHC and LETH.
Facts:
- In the 13th minute of the second half, a foul committed by MHC player #7 on LETH player #13 prompted a scuffle on the floor involving members from both teams, resulting in the assessment of several red and yellow cards by the officials.
- #4 Kirkland and #11 Camara from MHC and #6 Sure from LETH were assessed red cards; #23 Okpala from LETH was assessed a yellow card.
- Both MHC and LETH are challenging the application of Red Cards against their players believing that in the midst of a chaotic and dynamic situation, the officials may have erred in determining which players warranted these cards.
- Operating Code Article III, Section 5, 1.2 permits an Athletic Director to submit video and request an extraordinary ruling by the Commissioner provided that an infraction had been called by the game official. The request, including a videotape of the incident, or additional information pertinent to the incident, must be submitted to the ACAC Office within 72 hours of the incident and a $250.00 non-refundable fee is to be paid.
- All conditions have been met by MHC and LETH to proceed with this extraordinary review.
Ruling:
- As part of the investigation into this request, assistance was requested of the ACAC CEO as well as the ACAC Futsal Convener. • After watching video of the incident, it is evident that immediately following the initial infraction, pushing and shoving between opposing players commences but it is difficult to conclude that any one player pushing was more violent than another, and no one player was pushed off their feet.
- Multiple players joined the altercation adding to the chaos including #6 LC Sure and # 11 MHC Camara. #6 Sure appears to be attempting to diffuse and de-escalate the situation. #11 Camara leaves the MHC bench, and his demeanor appears to escalate the situation requiring 2 other players (#4 MHC Kirkland and #6 LCK Sure) to move him away from the incident and calm him. LETH #23 Okpala requires forceful restraint by several teammates to keep him away from MHC players.
- From the video of the incident, it appears that the only punches are thrown by LC #23 Okpala. What is unclear is whether any of the punches actually struck an opposing player.
- Although the officials on the floor were obviously close to the situation, that may have hampered their view because of their poor vantage point. Furthermore, rather than wait for the restoration of order to assess the situation in its entirety and even confer with each other to determine appropriate discipline, the officials remained in the midst of the chaotic situation in their attempt to restore calm. A decision to immediately begin issuing Red and Yellow cards to various players while tempers simmered may have actually further enflamed the participants. Lastly, it’s evident that the officials missed witnessing key moments over the entire incident as they issued Red and Yellow cards on the floor.
- The ACAC Operating Code indicates that the Commissioner has discretion to increase or decrease sanctions. Red Card offenses result in a 2-game suspension for violent conduct however I did not witness evidence in the video of the incident that could be categorized as “excessive force” or “brutality”, the terminology applied by FIFA Laws of the Game.
- As a matter of practice and principle, the ACAC Commissioner is reluctant to over-rule or second guess the sanctions issued on the field of play by the game officials. In that vein, all cards issued by the officials will remain on the record and these cards will be counted as part of the accumulation records maintained by the ACAC.
- The automatic ACAC 2-game suspension that accompanies Red Cards issued to #6 LC Sure and #4 MHC Kirkland will be waived and they will not be required to serve any suspension for their involvement in this incident.
- The automatic 2-game suspension for the Red Card issued to MHC #11 Camara will be reduced to one game to be served in MHC’s first game at the ACAC South Regional Tournament beginning Feb. 24/23.
- For his involvement in this incident, LETH #23 Okpala is assessed a one-game suspension to be served in LETH’s first game at the ACAC South Regional Tournament beginning Feb. 24/23.
Both LETH and MHC will forthwith be required to remit $250 to the ACAC Office for their request of this Extraordinary Video Review by the Commissioner.
Respectfully,
Alan Rogan, ACAC Interim Commissioner
c. ACAC Conference Council Dean Studer, ACAC Futsal Convener
ACAC Office
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