PLAYING UP OR DOWN DISCIPLINE BREACH PROTOCOLS (School, Colleges and Regional Academies / Centres of Excellence)
This recommended 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 School / College / Regional Academy / Centre of Excellence or the teacher/coach, but not to the pupil/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 appropriate assessment and approval being recorded. No injury occurs.** |
Warning issued to the School / College / Regional Academy / Centre of Excellence and Teacher / Coach / person responsible for the team. Requirement for the School / College / Regional Academy / Centre of Excellence to remind all Teachers / Coaches of the regulations. Copy of the communication to be sent to the CBAGDS and ERFSU / ECRFU AGDS. Requirement to keep accurate records for all future Age-Grade matches. Warning recorded by the CBAGDS and ERFSU / ECRFU AGDS. |
| Low Level Breach |
The second instance in the current season that at least 1 player has trained* up or down without appropriate assessment and approval being recorded. No injury occurs.** The first instance in the current season that at least 1 player has played up or down without appropriate assessment and approval being recorded. No injury occurs.** |
Formal warning issued to the School / College / Regional Academy / Centre of Excellence and Teacher / Coach / person responsible for the team. Removal of International Ticket entitlement for one season. Warning recorded by the CBAGDS. NAGDS and ERFSU / ECRFU AGDS notified. The Headteacher or Principal or Academy / Centre of Excellence Manager may wish to consider utilizing / invoking their Health and Safety procedures, in addition to the RFU sanctions outlined if deemed necessary. |
| Mid-Level Breach |
The third instance in the current season that at least 1 player has trained* up or down without appropriate assessment and approval being recorded. No injury occurs.** The second instance in the current season that at least 1 player has played up or down without appropriate assessment and approval being recorded. No injury occurs.** |
Formal warning issued to the School / Colleges / Regional Academy / Centre of Excellence and requirement to provide evidence training on all aspects of RFU Regulation 15 to all Teachers / Coaches. The School / College / Regional Academy / Centre of Excellence cannot enter ERFSU / ECRFU and / or CSU Competitions for one season. The School / College cannot host a rugby Festival. RFU National Player Pipeline Manager and ERFSU / ECRFU AGDS notified. The Headteacher or Principal or Academy / Centre of Excellence Manager may wish to consider utilizing / invoking their Health and Safety procedures, in addition to the RFU sanctions outlined if deemed necessary. |
| Top End Breach |
The fourth instance in the current season that at least 1 player has trained* up or down without appropriate assessment and approval being recorded. No injury occurs.**
The third instance in the current season that at least 1 player has played up or down without appropriate assessment and approval being recorded. No injury occurs.** |
In addition to Level 3 sanction[s], the School / College cannot enter ERFSU / ECRFU and / or CSU Competitions for 2 or more years. The School / College cannot host a rugby Festival for 2 or more years; remove permission to tour for a specified period. RFU National Player Pipeline Manager and RFU Discipline Department notified. The Headteacher or Principal may wish to consider utilizing / invoking their Health and Safety procedures, in addition to the RFU sanctions outlined if deemed necessary. |
| Cup Competition Breach | At least 1 player has played up or down without CB approval in a knockout National School Competition. |
If the team won the match, team must be removed from the National School / College Competition for the current season. If the team lost the match, sanction aggravated to reflect severity of breaching Regulations in a National School / College Competition. These sanctions for both teams are in addition to the Level of Breach. RFU National Player Pipeline Manager and RFU Discipline Department 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
- • School / College / Regional Academy / Centre of Excellence 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 – School / College / Regional Academy / Centre of Excellence 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 teacher / 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 School / College with a different team / age group?
Additional considerations:
- • All Schools / Colleges / Regional Academies / Centres of Excellence should be aware that Schools / Colleges / Regional Academies / Centres of Excellence 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.
