PLAYING UP OR DOWN DISCIPLINE BREACH PROTOCOLS (Clubs)
This sanction table relates to an entry point for a first breach of RFU Regulation 15. The sanction may be increased to reflect aggravating features or reduced to reflect mitigating factors (see below). A second breach is likely to incur a significantly higher sanction.
For the avoidance of doubt, this sanction table is only applicable for breaches of RFU Regulation 15.2 (Combining of Age Grades), RFU Regulation 15.3 (Playing Up), 15.4 (Playing Down) and 15.5 (Playing Out of Age Grade Table) and does not apply to breaches of RFU Regulation 15.6 (Playing Adult Rugby).
For any breach of RFU Regulation 15, sanctions will apply to the club or the coach, but not to the child.
A Disciplinary Panel may consider a training session as contact rugby if the session includes any form of collision, including but not limited to tackling, mauling, rucking or scrummaging. For the avoidance of doubt, any training session that includes the use of padded suits or equipment, for example tackle suits or contact shields, may also be considered as contact training.
| Classification of Breach | Description of Classification | Sanction |
| Warning | The first instance in the current season that at least 1 player has trained* up or down without CB approval. No injury occurs.** |
Warning issued to the Club and Coach / person responsible for the team. Requirement for the Club to remind all coaches of the regulations. Copy of the communication to be sent to the CBAGDS. Requirement to keep accurate records for all future Age-grade matches. Warning recorded by the CBAGDS. |
| Low Level Breach |
The second instance in the current season that at least 1 player has trained* up or down without CB approval. No injury occurs.** The first instance in the current season that at least 1 player has played up or down without CB approval. No injury occurs.** |
Formal warning issued to the Club and Coach / person responsible for the team. Suspension of the Coach / person responsible for the team (possibly suspended) for up to 4 weeks. Warning recorded by the CBAGDS. NAGDS notified. |
| Mid-Level Breach |
The third instance in the current season that at least 1 player has trained* up or down without CB approval. No injury occurs.** The second instance in the current season that at least 1 player has played up or down without CB approval. No injury occurs.** |
Suspension of the Coach / person responsible for the team for up to 3 months. Formal warning issued to the Club and requirement to provide evidence training on all aspect of RFU Regulation 15 to all coaches. RFU National Player Pipeline Manager notified. |
| Top End Breach |
The fourth instance in the current season that at least 1 player has trained* up or down without CB approval. No injury occurs.** The third instance in the current season that at least 1 player has played up or down without CB approval. No injury occurs.** |
Suspension of the Coach / person responsible for the team for up to 6 months. Potential points deducted from the Club 1st Team equating to 2 wins (possibly suspended). RFU National Player Pipeline Manager and RFU Discipline Department notified. |
| Cup Competition Breach | At least 1 player has played up or down without CB approval in a knockout Cup Competition. |
If the team won the match, team must be removed from the Cup Competition for the current season. If the team lost the match, sanction guidelines aggravated by at least 1 level. These sanctions for both teams are in addition to the Level of Breach. RFU National Player Pipeline Manager notified. |
* This is intended as contact rugby training as described above.
** If an injury occurs, sanction guidelines are aggravated by at least 1 level.
*** If player plays in the front row, sanction guidelines are aggravated by at least an additional level.
Aggravating features may include:
- • Intentional breach of regulations
- • Club failure to warn teams of regulation and consequences of breach
- • More than one year difference between the player actual age group and the age group in which they played
- • Serious injury to the player or other players
Mitigating factors may include:
- • Unintentional breach – Club did not know player was of a different age and had made reasonable enquiries
- • Player capable of playing up, or meets the requirements to play down, and permission would have been granted had it been requested
- • Non-serious injury to the player or other players
- • Culpability of the coach / person responsible for the team for other breaches of RFU Regulation 15.4 in the same season – e.g. was the previous breach in the same club with a different team / age group?
Additional considerations:
- • Where a club’s 1st XV play under the jurisdiction of the RFU Discipline team and the sanctions give consideration to a points deduction for the 1st XV, the RFU Head of Discipline will direct how such cases will be heard.
- • All clubs should be aware that clubs who do not adhere to RFU Regulation 15, including the unauthorised playing out of age group, may impact the insurance cover that is in place.
