Touchline Suspension

A Touchline Suspension is a ban from any immediate contact with players, club officials and match officials participating in a match for the duration of the match. A Touchline Suspension may be imposed on a player and an official. A Touchline Suspension prohibits an individual from:-

  1. Attending the dugouts and technical areas before, during and after the match.
  2. Entering the field-of-play and the prohibited area in the vicinity of the touchline and goal lines.
  3. Coaching or issuing instructions for the duration of the game.
  4. Engaging the match officials whilst they are on the field-of-play or in the tunnel and/or private way leading from the dressing rooms to the field-of-play.

The player or official under a Touchline Suspension is permitted to attend the team changing room pre-match, at half-time and post-match. Furthermore, the individual is permitted to approach the match officials pre-match or post-match whilst they are in their dressing room and provided the match officials are agreeable to the approach.

The Association is aware that due to the nature of many grounds, the individual under a Touchline Suspension may stand behind the perimeter barrier surrounding the field-of-play but still remain sufficiently close enough to the field-of-play to allow them to continue coaching or issue instructions to the coaching / technical staff. This will be considered as a breach of the Touchline Suspension and will result the South Wales Football Association/The Football Association of Wales. preferring charges of misconduct against the club and player or official who is under the suspension.

Where a stand exists within the ground the South Wales Football Association/The Football Association of Wales. requires the player or official to sit in the stand away from the field-of-play.

For the duration of the game, a player or official under a Touchline Suspension is NOT PERMITTED to communicate with the coaching / technical staff via radio or other electronic communication and is prohibited from having personal contact with any such persons.