This document outlines the appeals policy and procedure for each match played at the EQC2023 – Division 2 in Golbey, France.

This policy will cover in-game appeals and suspension review following red cards, straight ejections or forfeit offenses under 9.1.6.

Appeals

What will the In-Game Appeals Policy cover?

The appeals policy will cover in-game cases of misinterpretation or incorrect implementation of the rulebook on an incident which will have a severe impact on the match.

What will the In-Games Appeals Policy not cover?

It does not cover situations not mentioned in the above point, explicitly it will not cover arguments over a version of events. Neither will it cover misinterpretation or incorrect implementation of the rulebook on an incident which does not have a severe impact on a match

Video Evidence

Regardless of any substance of video or photographic evidence, it will NOT be taken into consideration for the appeal.

What is a “severe impact”?

A severe impact is a straight red card, straight ejection (i.e. all ejections not due to a double yellow) or a snitch catch.

How does the appeal work?

The speaking captain or team coach, must approach the Head Referee and notify them that they are appealing the decision in cases where they believe the decision for a straight red card, straight ejection or snitch catch has been made erroneously due to the referee crew incorrectly implementing the rules, and NOT the version of events differing between the appealing party and the referee crew.

The appeal must occur by the end of the stoppage in which the rule was misapplied.

In the event of a possible snitch catch that is denied on field, the speaking captain may call to appeal the decision without a stoppage of play. The snitch referee must then call a stoppage for a possibly valid snitch catch to grant the potential appeal.

The Head Referee will inform the pitch manager who will then inform the committee of the nature of the appeal for investigation. The relevant committee members will immediately make their way to the pitch to investigate the appeal. The game remains paused until the appeal is completed.

Who will investigate the appeal?

The appeal investigation team will be made up of Committee Gameplay members, any relevant tournament committee members attending without conflict of interest and the relevant referee of the match.

How many appeals does a team get?

A team can have as many appeals as they feel necessary throughout the event, but each unsuccessful appeal will be subject to greater penalties. This may include multiple, and therefore stacking, penalties.

How will the game resume after the appeal?

The game resumes or ends in accordance with the outcome of the appeal.

What are the outcomes of the appeal?

There are 4 outcomes of an appeal;

1. Call on the field is overturned (the official was clearly incorrect in their application of the rules).
2. The call on the field stands (The official’s application of the rules falls within a reasonable grey area that the rulebook and casebook do not clearly show to be incorrect).
3. The call on the field is confirmed (The official was clearly correct in their application of the rules from the rulebook and casebook)
4. The appeal is rejected (The appeal only questioned matters of fact on the field, not the application of the rules to those facts).

Penalties for Rejected Appeals

The first incorrect appeal under (3) and (4) will not carry any penalty, but subsequent appeals which fall under (3) and (4) will carry escalating penalties. Scenarios (1) and (2) will not carry a penalty for the appealing speaking captain. Scenarios (3) and (4) will carry escalating penalties for the appealing speaking captain.

Escalating Penalties

The first penalty, which is for the second failed appeal, under scenario (3) or (4), will be a one match suspension for the speaking captain which is for the next match to be played.

The second penalty will be a two match suspension for the speaking captain which will commence from the next game to be played.

The third and final penalty will be the team forfeits its remaining games at the event, including the game in which the appeal occurred.

Appealing a non-severe impact event

If a team is appealing against a non-severe impact event, such as a goal or yellow card. This will be denied by the pitch manager and head referee. There will be no penalty for this as the appeals process was never triggered.

Examples of In-Game appeals process:

• Green beater has committed a foul for which they will be yellow carded. The green seeker catches the snitch otherwise legally before the penalty against the green beater is adjudicated. At the stoppage, the Head Referee believes the catch should be good as it did not affect the seeker game. Purple speaking captain appeals. This appeal will be upheld under result scenario (1). The catch will be disallowed and the game will continue as normal.
  
• Green beater has committed a foul for which the bludger is to be turned over with no further player penalty. Green seeker catches the snitch otherwise legally. The referee crew deemed the turnover penalty to not have interfered with the snitch/seeker play. The Head Referee will call the catch good. Purple speaking captain appeals on the basis that they believe the turnover call should automatically decline the snitch catch whether it affected play or not. This appeal will be declined under scenario (3) since they believe the head referee to be incorrect in application of ruling regarding what declines a snitch catch.
  
• Green beater has committed a foul for which the bludger is to be turned over with no further player penalty. Green seeker catches the snitch otherwise legally. The referee crew deemed the turnover penalty to not have interfered with the snitch/seeker play. The Head Referee will call the catch good. Purple speaking captain appeals on the basis that they believed the turnover foul affected the game. This appeal will be declined under scenario (3) and (4) since this is disputing the version of events rather than the interpretation of the ruling on the events themself and they are also incorrect in the ruling of this.
  
• Green seeker seemingly legally catches the snitch. Purple speaking captain appeals because they believe the seeker was off-broom at the time of the catch This appeal will be declined under scenario (4) since this is disputing the version of events rather than the interpretation of the ruling on the events themself.
  
• Green keeper scores a goal whilst off-broom. Purple speaking captain believes this should be disallowed because they are off broom so appeal the decision. The appeals process is not triggered due to a goal not being classified as a serious impact event.
  
• Green chaser commits interpositional interference against purple beater. The Head referee had ruled “back to hoops”, despite ruling that the foul had significantly impacted the overall play. Prior to the next change in quaffle possession or lull in play, green seeker otherwise legally catches the snitch. The head referee assesses the catch as good. Purple speaking captain appeals the snitch catch decision. This appeal will be granted under Scenario (1). The incorrect application of the rules means that the yellow card that should have been given for this offense, would then also decline the snitch catch automatically. If a lull in play, change in possession or stoppage has already occurred between the offense and the catch, the appeal would be not triggered as the yellow card would be too disconnected from when the offense occurred. The yellow card, had it properly been given, would have been assessed in a stoppage prior to the catch occurring.

Suspension Review

What does the suspension review policy cover?

It covers potential match or event bans of individuals or teams after receiving a straight red card, straight ejection, or forfeit offenses under 9.1.6 of the IQA Rulebook 20-22. Or reports that an individual or team committed an offense that should have resulted in such a penalty.

Standard Suspension

Every red card, straight ejection and forfeit offense under 9.1.6 will be investigated by the relevant tournament committee members and any suspension will be adjudicated as soon as the decision has been made. The standard suspension for any straight red card, straight ejection or forfeit offense under 9.1.6 will be a one match suspension, but this is subject to change as the investigation seems fit, whether this is confirmed as a one match suspension, upgraded to more or downgraded to none.

Who will investigate the appeal?

The appeal investigation team will be made up of Committee Gameplay members, any relevant tournament committee members attending without conflict of interest and the relevant referees of the match.

Considerations

When adjudicating a suspension following an appropriate offense, several things will be taken into consideration. These include but are not limited to;

• Referee account of events
• Player account of events
• Other involved event officials’ account of events
• The offense itself
• Apparent danger to other players, spectators or other attendants at the event.