These guidelines have been prepared to provide helpful guidance to Clubs and Participants on the procedures for the 2025/26 Season concerning Wrongful Dismissal, Standard Punishment Clearly Excessive, and Mistaken Identity Claims.
Please note that this guidance does not alter or replace the actual FA Rules and Regulations which should be referred to for the full provisions relating to these matters. In the event of any inconsistency between this guidance and the Rules and Regulations, the Rules and Regulations shall take precedence.
Clubs wishing to lodge a claim must notify The FA of its intention to do so via Platform For Football (PFF), which will automatically notify JudicialServices@TheFA.com. If your claim is not appearing on PFF, email JudicialServices@TheFA.com prior to the deadlines outlined below.
A claim of wrongful dismissal can only be lodged for on-field offences that result in a straight sending-off only – not for Players dismissed for receiving two cautions
Please note, a Player dismissed for receiving two cautions in the same match may have a Yellow Card rescinded if one of the cautions was the result of an opponent successfully deceiving a Match Official. This would occur following a proven charge against an opponent for successfully deceiving a Match Official rather than via a wrongful dismissal claim. Similarly, straight Red Cards as a result of this successful deception of a Match Official may also be rescinded following a proven charge.
Notification of Intention to Submit a Claim 1pm on next Business Day following the incident 1pm Monday
Claim / Evidence 1pm on second Business Day following the incident 1pm Tuesday
Regulatory Commission
To be determined prior to the suspension being served Thursday
ACTION DEADLINE
Notification of Intention to Submit a Claim
Claim / Evidence
Regulatory Commission
EXAMPLE: WEEKEND MATCH
5pm on the second Business Day following the incident 5pm Tuesday
5pm on the fourth Business Day following the incident 5pm Thursday
To be determined prior to the suspension being served Thursday
These time limits will be strictly adhered to and late claims will not be considered. The intention to claim for wrongful dismissal must be submitted to Judicial Services prior to the applicable deadline whether the Match Official has yet submitted the incident or not. Additionally, if awaiting video evidence to determine whether to lodge a wrongful dismissal claim, or not, Participants should submit their intention to claim wrongful dismissal prior to the relevant deadline Participants can withdraw the claim before 5pm the next business day after the incident if they decide not to proceed with the claim. Video footage of all available angles of the dismissal offence must be submitted as part of the evidence. A Player or Club may be charged with Misconduct by The Association if there is evidence that video footage showing the incident from all available angles was in their possession but was not submitted to The Association when a claim of wrongful dismissal was made.
The claim will be dealt with on written and video evidence only, no party will be permitted to address the Regulatory Commission dealing with the matter.
Claims for wrongful dismissal will always be dealt with before the Player’s next fixture and therefore before any suspension commences. Where there are insufficient business days between fixtures, such as over the Christmas and Boxing Day period, the Club must notify The FA by 1pm on the next day following the dismissal with the submission of evidence also required by 5pm on that first day following the dismissal. A Regulatory Commission will then consider the claim no later than 6pm on the day before the Club’s next fixture.
In order to succeed in a wrongful dismissal claim the Club must prove that the Referee made an obvious error in dismissing the Player from the field of play. The result of a wrongful dismissal hearing will be notified to the Club on the same day as the hearing and the result cannot be appealed.
The Regulatory Commission also has the option, if the claim fails, to increase any period of suspension if it considers the claim to have had no prospect of success or to have amounted to an abuse of process. Clubs should be mindful that this is not a process for them to action simply because they disagree with the Match Official and/or feel an incident is worth the claim fee if unsuccessful. A Regulatory Commission can increase the standard punishment by up to double for no reasonable prospect of success claims
Obvious error Rationale
In order for a wrongful dismissal claim to be successful the evidence provided to the Commission must demonstrate that the referee has unquestionably made an obvious error in arriving at the judgement to dismiss a player. This includes incidents where the decision made by the referee is based on information received from another match official, including the Video Assistant Referee where in operation.
The burden is on the player/club to demonstrate that the referee has made an obvious error.
It is important to remember that the Wrongful Dismissal process is not about re-refereeing an incident, it is to consider the fundamental question: “has the referee made an obvious error?”
Principles
The following guidance relates to the obvious error threshold and key considerations for determining whether or not the threshold is reached.
The threshold is high as this process is not intended to be a regular and/or automatic review of red card offences.
Factual decisions
An incident where the evidence provided unquestionably demonstrates a factual error of judgement would satisfy the threshold for an obvious error.
By way of an example, a player who is dismissed for denying the opposing team a goal or an obvious goalscoring opportunity by a handball offence where the evidence obviously demonstrates that the ball and hand/arm did not come into contact, would be an obvious error.
Subjective decisions
There is an inherent subjectivity in arriving at a decision to dismiss a player. In arriving at a final outcome, the referee will consider:
• Laws of the Game
• Principles for practical interpretation and application of the Laws of the Game
When considering the threshold for an obvious error it is important to consider the evidence provided for a wrongful dismissal through the prism of ‘does the evidence demonstrate that the referee has made an obvious error in arriving at an outcome?’. The process is not to re-referee an incident.
The key question to consider when considering the evidence is “was the judgement made obviously wrong?”, rather than “was the decision correct or what would I do?”
To meet the threshold for an obvious error, the evidence must show the incident from all available angles and demonstrate that the relevant dismissal was incorrect under the Laws of the Game and their interpretation and application.
Use of the evidence
Footage provided as evidence must include the incident in all available angles. The evidence must be provided in normal speed but can be duplicated in slow motion also. As a guide:
Slow motion can be helpful for establishing factual information and is useful for confirming point of contact for physical offences and handball and position of offence or location of other players for a denial of an obvious goal-scoring opportunity.
Normal speed is important in providing context and information relating to speed and intensity and actions of the player, as well as determining handball offences.
This panel’s involvement in the wrongful dismissal process has been well established now. The members of this panel are experienced former professional Match Officials and their purpose is to advise any Regulatory Commission sitting on a wrongful dismissal case of the Laws of the Game which apply to the particular incident.
The members of this advisory panel do not form part of the Regulatory Commission nor the decision making process, they appear in an advisory capacity on the applicable Laws of the Game only and are not permitted to discuss the actual incident being considered.
In clear and obvious circumstances a Player and their Club can seek a reduction in the standard punishment for dismissal offences where thereis a dismissal offence for offensive or insulting or abusive language / gestures, serious foul play, violent conduct, or spitting. In all cases, even when such a claim succeeds, a minimum suspension of at least one match will always remain. The intention is that the standard punishment will be appropriate in the vast majority of cases and that these provisions to reduce the sanction will only cater for the clear and obvious cases. This procedure is not intended to encourage or lead to the systematic and regular review of standard punishments. It should be noted that The FA and Stakeholders have reviewed the policy surrounding Serious Foul Play and it is accepted that in clear and obvious circumstances, claims that the Standard Penalty is excessive may also apply to Serious Foul play offences.
Serious foul play
There is an inherent subjectivity in arriving at a decision to dismiss a player for serious foul play. In arriving at a final outcome, the referee will consider:
• Laws of the Game
• Principles for practical interpretation and application of the Laws of the Game Laws of the Game
A tackle or challenge that endangers the safety of an opponent or uses excessive force or brutality must be sanctioned as serious foul play.
Any player who lunges at an opponent in challenging for the ball from the front, from the side or from behind using one or both legs, with excessive force or endangers the safety of an opponent is guilty of serious foul play.
Decision-making principles
Key considerations for determining the severity of a challenge:
• Speed
• Intensity
• Force used
• Point and extent of contact
In arriving at a judgement, the referee makes a holistic assessment of the challenge, weighting each of the considerations to determine whether the force is excessive and/or the challenge endangers the safety of the opponent. For example, a challenge made at high speed, with a high, full and forceful contact would meet the threshold for serious foul play.
Criteria for considering whether a Standard Punishment is Clearly Excessive
Whilst standard punishment will be appropriate in the vast number of cases, in exceptional circumstances, whilst a challenge may meet the threshold for serious foul play, a reduction in the punishment may be appropriate.
To meet the threshold for any reduction from the standard punishment, clear evidence to demonstrate that the punishment is excessive must be provided.
A reduction may be made where there is clear and obvious evidence that a challenge:
• is made at reasonable speed, and
• has a high degree of control, and/or has a very reasonable prospect of playing the ball when it is made, although playing the ball is not a mitigating factor (especially when the ball is played with one foot and the offence is committed with the other foot or another part of the body e.g. the elbow)
• the contact is either glancing and/or minimal, and there is a clear attempt made by the player making the challenge to mitigate the consequence e.g. avoid the contact
To be clear, whilst these factors can be considered in such claims, the general rule is that the standard punishment should be applicable in the vast majority of cases to ensure consistency and clarity. This provision is to enable a degree of flexibility in a very small number of potential cases.
on
1pm on second Business Day following the incident 1pm Tuesday
To be determined, where practicable, prior to the suspension being served and in all cases before the second Match that the Player would miss were the standard punishment to apply.
2 – 4 (First Teams)
on the fourth Business
following the incident
To be determined, where practicable, prior to the suspension being served and in all cases before the second Match that the Player would miss were the standard punishment to apply.
These time limits will be strictly adhered to and late claims will not be considered. These cases will not be determined by personal hearings. The Club will have to submit video and written evidence that clearly outlines and explains why the case is clear and obvious
Clubs submitting claims for wrongful dismissal are able to also submit an alternative claim that the punishment for the dismissal is clearly excessive. This claim would be considered by the Commission if the wrongful dismissal claim fails. Claims will be dealt with before the Player’s next fixture and therefore before any suspension commences.
In addition to the standard punishment being reduced in exceptional circumstances The FA also reserves the power to seek an increase in the standard punishment in exceptional circumstances in respect of dismissal offences.
A claim of mistaken identity may be lodged if: (a) a Player who has been cautioned or sent off, or (b) a Technical Area Occupant who has been cautioned, claims that they were the victim of mistaken identity.
Notification of Intention to Submit a Claim 1pm on next Business Day following the incident
Claim / Evidence 1pm on second Business Day following the incident
Regulatory Commission
Steps 2 – 4 (First Teams)
To be determined prior to the suspension being served Thursday
Notification of Intention to Submit a Claim 5pm on the second Business Day following the incident 5pm Tuesday
Claim / Evidence 5pm on the fourth Business Day following the incident 5pm Thursday
Regulatory Commission
To be determined prior to the suspension being served Thursday
These time limits will be strictly adhered to and late claims will not be considered.
Video footage of the incident, a signed statement by the Player / Technical Area Occupant originally reported by the Referee that they were not responsible and identifying the name of the person who was responsible must be submitted as part of the evidence. Where possible, a written statement from the Player / Technical Area Occupant responsible for the offence should be supplied. Where possible, a written description of the incident will be sought from the Match Referee.
The claim will be dealt with on written and video evidence only, no party will be permitted to address the Regulatory Commission considering the matter. Claims for mistaken identity will always be dealt with
before the Player’s / Technical Area Occupant’s next fixture and therefore before any suspension commences.
Where there are no or insufficient business days between fixtures, such as over the Christmas and Boxing Day period, the Club must notify The FA by 1pm the day following the incident. If this notification is properly submitted, the Player will be eligible to play / the Technical Area Occupant will be eligible to occupy the Technical Area in Matches prior to the claim being determined by a Regulatory Commission. Submission of the claim will still be required as set out in the tables above.
It should be noted that where the evidence clearly shows a case of mistaken identity, but a Club does not lodge a claim, The FA reserves the right within seven days of the alleged incident to request a Regulatory Commission reviews the matter. Furthermore, a Club failing to lodge a claim for mistaken identity may be charged with misconduct by The FA if there is evidence that the Club sought to gain an advantage by remaining silent on the matter.
The result of a mistaken identity hearing cannot be appealed and will be notified to the Club on the day the decision is made.
Paddy McCormack
Judicial Services Manager
Mobile: 07984105659
Paddy.McCormack@TheFA.Com
Michael O’Connor
Judicial Services Assistant Manager
Mobile: 07970219797
Michael.OConnor@TheFA.com
Conrad Gibbons
Senior Judicial Services Officer
Mobile: 07929659891
Conrad.Gibbons@TheFA.com
Marc Medas
Judicial Services Officer
Mobile: 07977451534
Marc.Medas@TheFA.com
Nathan Greenslade
Judicial Services Administrator
Mobile: 07977451474
Nathan.Greenslade@TheFA.com