New penalty point system in MLS, in case anyone's interested

In the continuing effort by Major League Soccer to rid its game of player dissent, the league announced yesterday its first penalties under the newly adopted administrative penalty points system introduced prior to the season.

Following the Kansas City Wizards’ overtime loss to the Los Angeles Galaxy on May 5, 2001, referee Kevin Terry reported two incidents of post-game dissent misconduct within the Referee Secure Area. As a result of this report, four penalty points were issued to Kansas City Wizards’ players Tony Meola and Brandon Prideaux for dissent within the Referee Secure Area.

In addition, Alex Prus, the referee for Wednesday night’s match between the Los Angeles Galaxy and the Tampa Bay Mutiny, reported dissent misconduct by the Mutiny’s Carlos Valderrama following regulation time. Consequently, Valderrama was issued four penalty points and fined a sum of $250, since he had already received a yellow card in that game.

The issuance of four additional yellow card penalty points brings these players closer to receiving a potential fine and/or suspension under MLS yellow card penalty point guidelines. These guidelines mandate a one-game suspension and applicable fine when a player accumulates more than 21 points over the course of the regular season. Additionally, if a player accumulates 11 yellow card penalty points over the course of three consecutive regular season games in which he appears, he is consequently suspended from his next regular season game.

Under MLS’ new system, a referee may report a player’s dissent misconduct to league officials following a game. If the referee does so, MLS will administer penalty points to the player following the game. A similar procedure is also used by the English Premier League.

Where penalty points are issued based upon the referee’s report, MLS shall administer the points and any applicable fine prior to the team’s next game. When the referee does not include dissent misconduct in the referee’s post-game report, but the MLS Disciplinary Committee finds evidence of dissent that would have justified the issuance of a yellow card but was undetected by the referee, MLS itself may issue post-game penalty points. In this case, where the dissent is not reported by the referee, the penalty points would be assessed in accordance with the normal practice of the MLS Disciplinary Committee, on the fourth business day following the game in question (Saturday counting as a business day).

Where the offending player has already received a yellow card in the relevant game, he will also be assessed a fine as though he had received a second yellow card but he shall not receive the automatic suspension received by a player who receives a red card. He may, however, receive a suspension if the penalty points assessed take him over a suspension barrier in accordance with the MLS yellow card penalty points guidelines.

Huh? Sorry, but that wasn't real clear to me. How many yellow cards does a player have to accumulate before he is suspended for a game?

Also, what/where is the Referee Secure Area?

How about a referee insecure area where they have to go for 15 minutes after the game and shut up and listen to a raft of sh!t about how much they suck.

Seriously, I am old school about dissent and think it has no place, but respect is a two way street. I'll be glad to see some big-mouthed jerks fined and suspended for unprofessional conduct, but some of the refs in MLS are ridiculous. MLS should have come up contemporaneously with a system whereby incompetent referees also pay some price.

I know what you mean, Hern. Typical rule interpretation, full of mumble jumble.

Not to be confused with yellow cards, yellow card penalty points (YCPP) are given to players based on referee's report, or sometimes by the MLS Disciplinary Committee.
Under the PP Guidelines, any player who accumulates 21 YCPP in one season is subjected to a mandatory one game suspension and/or monetary fine.

If a player collects 11 YCPP over three consecutive regular season games, he will serve a one game suspension as well.

Okay, so a yellow card can carry a different amount of penalty points depending on its severity? How many points does a run-of-the-mill yellow card cost a player? :confused: :confused:

Not sure whether a yellow card carries any YCPP at all, Hern. The last paragraph means, I think, that if a player already gets a yellow during the game, additional YCPP cannot force him out of the next game unless the YCPP he accumulates takes him over the 21/11 limit.

Yellow cards accumulate in a point system also and result in suspensions.

My biggest problem with MLS refs is that they are too lenient. There should be no tolerance for dissent.

Every game is taped and reviewed. When a ref sucks, like last week when the ref allowed encroachment on a pk, he should be sacked and sent back to the A-League. I think the refs are intimidated by the players and the league. I've seen too many obvious fouls and unsportsman like behavior go unpunished.

Evidently a lot of you missed out on thr FIFA ref meeting about four weeks ago in chicago. Where they talked about this very subject. They were asking refs in the MLS to be more lenient to players. Especially name players that draw people to the games. they were told to be more tolerent as people come to see soccer not the Refs. Funny after Four weeks they have done a 180.

Why not just base suspensions on a certain number of yellow cards received in a certain amount of matches, instead of creating a whole points system for it?

Tim

It is kind of complicated or FIFA makes it that way. If a player has recieved say a red card and is ejected from a game, on the way off the fied he decks a player. You cant issue another red card so they go to a point system to asses the foul. The same would hold true for descent after the game to an official. No cards can be given out so after the Ref hands in his report of the incodent FIFA would hand out points and would act as a yellow or red card. Also diferent fouls that require a yellow card gets different points. Consistant fowling will be Two point Yet decent to a ref would be four. I told you its compicated but I hope that helps a little

Ah, I see what you mean. Thanks for the explanation :)

Tim