A roundup of notable football law news and decisions from December 2023, providing short summaries and links to relevant sources.

On 17 November 2023, it was announced that a Premier League Commission had found that Everton Football Club had breached the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules and sanctioned EFC with an immediate ten-point deduction. This article considers the Commission’s approach to that sanction.

A roundup of notable football law news and decisions from November 2023, providing short summaries and links to relevant sources.

A roundup of notable football law news and decisions from October 2023, providing short summaries and links to relevant sources.

A roundup of notable football law news and decisions from September 2023, providing short summaries and links to relevant sources.

On 11 July 2023, Harry Toffolo was charged by the FA with a breach of FA Rules, rule E1(b) in respect of 375 bets placed on football matches between 22 January 2014 and 18 March 2017 in breach of FA Rules, rule E8 (“the Charge”). Mr Toffolo admitted the Charge, and this article provides a case summary of the Regulatory Commission’s decision on sanction, compares the recent case of Ivan Toney, and identifies key practical takeaways from the Regulatory Commission’s decision.

A roundup of notable football law decisions from August 2023, providing short summaries and links to relevant sources.

On 5 April 2023, Daniel Podence of Wolverhampton Wanderers FC was charged with a breach of the FA Rules, rule E1.1 for allegedly spitting at Nottingham Forest FC’s Brennan Johnson when the two teams played in a Premier League fixture at the City Ground on 1 April 2023. This article provides a case summary of the Regulatory Commission’s decision finding that the charge was not proved.

The recent FA Regulatory Commission and FA Appeal Board decisions involving Marco Da Silva and Aleksander Mitrovic of Fulham FC provide helpful guidance to those involved with FA disciplinary proceedings.

The recent case of The FA v Chris Maguire provided a rare example of a successful appeal against a Regulatory Commission’s decision concerning sanctions imposed on a Participant for breaches of The FA Rules, rule E8.1. This article explains the original and appeal decision, and provides a useful reminder of the importance of sanction guidelines and the need for Regulatory Commissions to provide sufficiently clear written reasons.

A recent decision by an FA Appeal Board in the case of The FA v Imran Louza considered the standard of proof applicable to cases of “serious Misconduct” and the proposition that the more serious the allegation the more cogent the evidence must be to prove the same. This article explains the FA Appeal Board’s written reasons and considers whether the same has caused any change.

At the end of Everton FC’s match against Manchester United FC on 9 April 2022, Cristiano Ronaldo was videoed slapping a mobile phone out of a 14-year-old’s hand as he walked down the players’ tunnel after the match had finished. Ronaldo was charged by The FA for a breach of rule E3.1 of The FA Rules, which he admitted. This article explains the Regulatory Commission’s approach to determining the appropriate sanction to impose on Ronaldo.

What constitutes an ‘assault’ in the FA Disciplinary Regulations? Where is the line to be drawn within the FA Disciplinary Regulations between an ‘assault’ and the lesser offence of ‘physical contact’? A recent decision of an FA Appeal Board has provided some much-needed clarity on this issue but also raised further questions that need answering.

On 27 October 2022 the written reasons of the EFL Disciplinary Commission were published in a case concerning an acquisition of shares in Rochdale AFC in July 2021. The acquisition had been completed without compliance with the EFL’s Owners’ and Directors’ Test and resulted in sanctions being imposed on Rochdale AFC and certain individuals involved with the acquisition.

At the end of a hotly contested Premier League match between Chelsea FC and Tottenham Hotspur FC on 14 August 2022, Thomas Tuchel and Antonio Conte shook hands and an incident followed. Both managers were charged with a breach of rule E3.1 of The FA Rules and were sanctioned by an FA Regulatory Commission. Mr Tuchel received a more severe sanction and then unsuccessfully appealed against the same to an FA Appeal Board. This article explains both decisions.