Question...

[Craig_H]

Mascherano was booked against Villa, and this took him to 5 bookings, so a suspension. He wasnt suspended for the H&W game, but for WHU tomorrow night. I thought maybe it's because they're separate competitions (Premier League and FA Cup) and that you only get suspended for the next game in the same competition...

But i notice that after being sent off at Old Trafford in the FA Cup, Michael Dawson is suspended for Spurs game at Woodison tomorrow night...

Everton must make do without suspended duo Tim Cahill and Tony Hibbert for the visit of Tottenham.
Leighton Baines (ankle) and Joseph Yobo, Ayegbeni Yakubu and Steven Pienaar, who are still on Africa Cup of Nations duty, are also unavailable.

Tottenham could hand new signing Jonathan Woodgate an immediate debut.

Michael Dawson is suspended following his red card in the FA Cup defeat at Manchester United on Sunday, but Pascal Chimbonda is available again his ban.

So what gives?

Why is Dawson suspended for the very next game but Mascherano wasnt suspended from the H&W but the WHU game instead?

I thought maybe a '7 day rule' applied, meaning that the ban only comes into effect 7 days after the game in question...which would've made sense as we'd played villa on the monday and H&W on the saturday. But no, because Dawson's red card came just 4 days prior to the game tomorrow night, which he's banned from.

[Joe King]

Mascherano was booked against Villa, and this took him to 5 bookings, so a suspension. He wasnt suspended for the H&W game, but for WHU tomorrow night. I thought maybe it's because they're separate competitions (Premier League and FA Cup) and that you only get suspended for the next game in the same competition...

But i notice that after being sent off at Old Trafford in the FA Cup, Michael Dawson is suspended for Spurs game at Woodison tomorrow night...



So what gives?

Suspensions start the week after. As the Villa and the H&W game was in the same week, Mascherano wasn't suspended but Dawson played on a Sunday and the week starts on a Monday hence his suspension tomorrow

[Craig_H]

Suspensions start the week after. As the Villa and the H&W game was in the same week, Mascherano wasn't suspended but Dawson played on a Sunday and the week starts on a Monday hence his suspension tomorrow

If that's the reason, it's absurd.

'The week starts on monday so it is different' Talk about semantics.

I'm not having a go at you mate, but if that IS the reason, the FA are a bigger bunch of clowns that i ever thought.

[Joe King]

If that's the reason, it's absurd.

'The week starts on monday so it is different' Talk about semantics.

I'm not having a go at you mate, but if that IS the reason, the FA are a bigger bunch of clowns that i ever thought.

Thats my understanding.

Someone else might correct me.

[saj]

Remember Luis Garcia got sent off and against West Ham and then missed the FA Cup final. All bookings and sendings off in all domestic competitions count as one if you get what I mean and carry over. If I rememeber correctly, all suspensions take place after 7 days. Mascherano only recieved the booking mid last week.

[Craig_H]

Remember Luis Garcia got sent off and against West Ham and then missed the FA Cup final. All bookings and sendings off in all domestic competitions count as one if you get what I mean and carry over. If I rememeber correctly, all suspensions take place after 7 days. Mascherano only recieved the booking mid last week.

Ok, so why is Dawson suspended for a game 3 days after he was sent off?

[saj]

Ok, so why is Dawson suspended for a game 3 days after he was sent off?

Red cards are always immediate 3 match bans, where as if he got sent off for 2 bookable offences then (I think) the 7 day rule would apply. I know the 7 day rule definitely applies to a 5 bookings suspension The rules are wierd.

[Craig_H]

I see.

Interesting. And bizarre. The FA are bigger clowns than i first thought.

[jonesie]

Is he suspended? I thought I saw him in the squad.

[Walter]

Ok, so why is Dawson suspended for a game 3 days after he was sent off?

Red card from 2 bookings = automatic 1 match ban
straight red = automatic 3 match ban

[Shaggy]

Is he suspended? I thought I saw him in the squad.

Definitely suspended mate. I assume that's why Xabi was rested entirely on Saturday, given that he's a virtual cert to start in Mascherano's absence.

[dww]

The FA rules from here say (same delay appears to be written down for sendings off):

(viii) Any period of suspension arising from the recording of cautions shall
commence on the 14th day following the date of his last offence. The
suspension shall cover all domestic League, League Cup, FA
Challenge Cup and Trophy matches and Friendly matches until such
time as his Club’s recognised Senior Team has completed the
number of matches appropriate to the punishment in approved
Competitions during the period covered by its opening match in the
Football Conference (North and South Divisions) / Isthmian / Northern
Premier / Southern League and ending with the final match in which
the Club is playing in a domestic Competition organised by The
Football Association, the Football Conference (North and South
Divisions) / Isthmian / Northern Premier / Southern League or
matches concerning a Club’s nominated County Senior Cup
Competition.

[dww]

Which is obviously at odds with what is happening - my guess is they make it up as they go along

[saj]

I see.

Interesting. And bizarre. The FA are bigger clowns than i first thought.

Well its not so bad now. Remember back in the day in the premiership (I'm pretty sure of this but someone call me a dickhead and correct me if I'm wrong) - suspensions would start 2 weeks or 2 games after the offence as it took them 7 days to process the offence. Lazy work shy ****wits - no wonder the England national team is so **** at football! Ok, a bit dramatic I know...

[JRC]

IIRC, FIFA or UEFA imposed these conditions on the FA a few years back as our rules and implementation for suspensions were even more haphazard. At least the suspensions tend to start pretty quickly now, but there are clearly still some idiosyncracies.