What happens if I'm charged with misconduct, and can I get a hearing or appeal?

A County FA can charge you for an incident whether or not the referee dealt with it on the day. Each charge costs a £15 administration fee, paid through your club. A suspension that comes from a charge is from all football unless the commission says otherwise.

Fast track offers. For some grassroots cases the County FA offers a set sanction before charging you. It must be issued by 6pm on the 2nd business day after the referee's report; you have until 6pm on the 5th business day after it is issued to accept, and it starts on the 6th business day. If you decline and are later charged, a second offer comes with the charge. Offers are normally lower than what a commission would impose if you deny the charge and it is proven.

Hearings. You have the right to a personal hearing if you ask for one, normally with at least 14 days' notice (7 days in some urgent cases). If you deny the charge, the referee may be asked to attend. The charge must normally be heard within 90 days of the first report.

Appeals go to an Appeal Board:

• Notify your intention to appeal within 7 days of the decision
• Submit the appeal within 14 days
• Grounds: you didn't get a fair hearing, the rules were misapplied, no reasonable commission could have reached the decision, or the penalty was excessive
• An appeal is a review of the papers, not a rehearing, though you can make oral submissions

If you or your club ignore a request for information, you get a warning and 7 more days; after that you and the team are suspended from all football from the following Monday.