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World Rugby Handbook

REGULATION 17 17.17 Standard of Proof for Ordering Off and Citing 17.17.1 The standard of proof for all matters under this Regulation shall be on the balance of probabilities. 17.17.2 The integrity of Law 6.A.4(a) of the Laws of the Game and the referee’s position as sole judge of fact and law during the Match is unassailable. With the sole exception of Regulation 17.19.7 the referee’s decisions on the field of play and their sporting consequences shall not be altered or overturned by a ruling of a Disciplinary Committee or Judicial Officer. The purpose of a subsequent review of an incident that occurred during a Match, by a Citing Commissioner and/or Disciplinary Committee or Judicial Officer, is to determine whether there should be any disciplinary sanctions applied for an act of Foul Play as provided for in Law 10. 17.17.3 In the case of an Ordering Off, the function of the Disciplinary Committee or Judicial Officer is to consider the circumstances of the case and determine its/his factual findings and what further sanction, if any, should be imposed on the Player. The Player Ordered Off may seek to show that the referee’s decision was wrong and the Disciplinary Committee or Judicial Officer may, subject to 17.17.2 review the referee’s decision and the circumstances surrounding it. In any such case, the Disciplinary Committee or Judicial Officer shall not make a finding contrary to the referee’s decision unless it/he is satisfied, on the balance of probabilities that the referee’s decision was wrong. 17.17.4 (a) In the case where there has been a citing complaint, the function of the Disciplinary Committee or Judicial Officer is to determine whether an act of Foul Play was committed by the Player. The citing complaint shall not be upheld unless the Disciplinary Committee or Judicial Officer is satisfied on the balance of probabilities that the Player concerned committed the act(s) of Foul Play that are subject to the citing complaint. If the citing is upheld, the Disciplinary Committee or Judicial Officer shall determine the sanction, if any, to be imposed on the Player in accordance with Regulation 17.19. In determining the appropriate sanction, the Disciplinary Committee or Judicial Officer may take account of any action taken during the Match in respect of the Foul Play by the referee. (b) In citing cases involving Matches in which no Citing Commissioner was appointed, the Disciplinary Committee or Judicial Officer shall, prior to considering whether the citing complaint by a team is to be upheld, establish that the incident was undetected by the referee and/or assistant referees and whether the alleged Foul Play was sufficiently serious to warrant an Ordering Off. If the Disciplinary Committee or Judicial Officer does not consider the alleged Foul Play of sufficient seriousness to have warranted an Ordering Off they/he shall dismiss the citing complaint. Last update: 14 January, 2015 251


World Rugby Handbook
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