SINGAPORE, 3 DECEMBER 2020 – Tanjong Pagar United have been sanctioned for infringing competition regulations during their 2020 AIA Singapore Premier League (SPL) match against Geylang International on 4 November 2020 at the Jurong East Stadium.
The club breached substitution regulations when Syabil Hisham, an Under-23 player, was replaced by Luiz Junior, a non-U23 player, in the 45th minute of the first half of the match. This left Tanjong Pagar with only two U23 players on the pitch. Specifically, the club were in violation of Articles 21.4 and 21.5 of the SPL Competition Regulations 2020, which are as follow:
- 21.4: At all times, all Participating Clubs (excluding Albirex Niigata FC (S), Brunei DPMM FC and Young Lions), shall have a minimum of three (3) Under-23 players fielded during the first half of a match.
- 21.5: Pursuant to Article 21.4, if any Under-23 Player is substituted in the first half of the match, such player shall be replaced by another Under-23 Player, except in the case of an Under-23 player who is ordered off the field of play in the first half.
As such, the match in question – won 1-0 by Geylang International – will now be awarded to Geylang International with a 3-0 scoreline.
This is pursuant to Article 20.13 of the SPL Competition Regulations 2020, which stipulates that: “Should a team be found to infringe any of the rules above or field an unregistered, suspended or ineligible player or field a registered player either in the starting line-up (First XI) who have been named as a substitute, or without the player’s name being indicated so either in the First XI or as Substitute in accordance to the Player Selection List, the match and three (3) points shall be awarded to the opposing non-infringing team, and the score to remain or a three (3) – nil (0) win to be awarded to the said non-infringing team, whichever is the greater. If a match is forfeited, suspension is only considered to have been served if the team to which the suspended play”.
Please refer to the updated SPL standings, as below:
