Post by sparkymark75 on Oct 29, 2015 17:09:38 GMT
The league have finally clarified a number of points regarding the DoPS.
The article can be viewed at: www.eliteleague.co.uk/news-s12109
However, as they've put this up as a news story, it'll soon get lost amongst the rest of the site so I'll put the rest of it here.
What is DOPS?
The Department of Player Safety is an independent body appointed by the 10 Elite League teams to control the disciplinary process in the league.
Who runs DOPS?
DOPS is run by Head of Referees Simon Kirkham. He is in charge of receiving requests and reviewing incidents, aided by a panel of up to 5 ‘hockey people’ from various different countries, who will also review the incidents. When a consensus is reached Simon will get in touch with the clubs involved to let them know what penalty, if any, has been assessed.
Simon has the final say on the decision, taking into account all the feedback he has received. Due to the tight deadlines the other members of the committee may change, this is one of the reasons why they are not named. The members of this committee are not known by the Elite League board or any of the teams, so there is no chance decisions can be influenced.
What penalties are reviewed automatically?
ALL 2+10, 5+GAME checking to head
ALL 2+10, 5+GAME checking from behind
And ALL match penalties.
What can clubs request be reviewed?
Any incident in the game that they feel is worth further discipline, whether a minor or major penalty has been assessed or not. For this to happen the requesting club must pay a fee which is refunded if their review is successful. They then must make their representations in writing to the Department of Player Safety with all relevant supporting evidence.
How long have teams got to make to decide if they want an incident reviewed?
For all Friday, Saturday and Sunday games, this must be done by 6pm on Monday evening for DOPS to consider the case.
For all games Monday to Thursday, the deadline is 6pm the following day to submit any requests.
Teams have 24 hours to send any supporting evidence to the DOPS email address after notification of investigations.
Any requests or evidence after this time will not be considered.
Why are review requests from Friday, Saturday and Sunday games not considered until Monday?
There are two main reasons, one is the practical side of the the decision making process. Simon and his DOPS committee are all often working games over the weekend and rather than rush decisions, the Elite League board decided it was best for all parties to hold the requests deadline until Monday.
On the other side of things, teams are often travelling until the early hours following games, and it was felt, that rather than waste time and money on an emotional review, it is better to give coaches and GM’s time make their decisions with calm heads.
Should a player receive a match penalty on a Friday or a Saturday, he will receive the minimum tariff for that incident (an automatic 1 game ban) prior to review , so would be suspended for the following night with an automatic review to follow.
When do clubs find out if they have a player under review or has been suspended?
DOPS will release information to ALL clubs of which cases it is reviewing on a Monday night before midnight.
DOPS will release information on social media of which cases it is reviewing on Tuesday.
DOPS will release review results to ALL clubs on Tuesday evening before midnight.
DOPS will release review results to media and fans via social media with video explanation on Wednesday afternoon.
For midweek games, please allow 48 hours for all results to be made public, however all clubs will be informed of review results prior to release.
Can clubs appeal a suspension?
Yes, if the suspension is two games or more, then the club and player in question can request an appeal. To do this they must lodge an appeals fee with the league, which is refunded if the appeal is successful.
A one match ban cannot be appealed. This is a decision taken by the Elite League board because the appeals process can be both complex and expensive. It was agreed by all 10 teams making up the board that in order for DOPS to operate successfully, a minimum one game ban would be accepted without question.
Why can’t evidence of any kind be considered after a decision has been made?
All teams ask DOPS to make the decision with the information they have in front of them prior to the deadlines. To consider evidence later sets a precedent, which could allow teams to withhold information until the last possible moment to gain an advantage. All 10 clubs agree that it is crucial the deadlines are kept by all parties.
Why is DOPS giving out social media fines?
As the Elite League’s independent disciplinary body, the EIHL board felt it was sensible for DOPS to take charge of all social media fines and also media fines should players/coaches and staff chose to go outside media guidelines set by the league.
This is monitored by the EIHL media department and thankfully there are thousands of pairs of eyes , who help monitor what is said and report any transgressions.
Anything to add?
DOPS was appointed by the 10 Elite League clubs to try and follow the route of the NHL in keeping the players safe whilst on the ice. Dangerous hits to the head, neck and back are something the EIHL is keen to cut out. Player injuries from these incidents mean teams can’t put their strongest side out on the ice, so there needs to be a deterrent and that is where DOPS comes in.
There is no doubt DOPS will be unpopular at times and people may disagree with the decisions, but Simon Kirkham and his committee will make the calls they believe are correct following the rules of the game.
Owners, fans, players, coaches and DOPS all want to see full rosters playing every night, but not at the expense of player safety or the rules of the game. It is always worth asking the question, did the player need to do that? Most of the time the answer is no.
The article can be viewed at: www.eliteleague.co.uk/news-s12109
However, as they've put this up as a news story, it'll soon get lost amongst the rest of the site so I'll put the rest of it here.
What is DOPS?
The Department of Player Safety is an independent body appointed by the 10 Elite League teams to control the disciplinary process in the league.
Who runs DOPS?
DOPS is run by Head of Referees Simon Kirkham. He is in charge of receiving requests and reviewing incidents, aided by a panel of up to 5 ‘hockey people’ from various different countries, who will also review the incidents. When a consensus is reached Simon will get in touch with the clubs involved to let them know what penalty, if any, has been assessed.
Simon has the final say on the decision, taking into account all the feedback he has received. Due to the tight deadlines the other members of the committee may change, this is one of the reasons why they are not named. The members of this committee are not known by the Elite League board or any of the teams, so there is no chance decisions can be influenced.
What penalties are reviewed automatically?
ALL 2+10, 5+GAME checking to head
ALL 2+10, 5+GAME checking from behind
And ALL match penalties.
What can clubs request be reviewed?
Any incident in the game that they feel is worth further discipline, whether a minor or major penalty has been assessed or not. For this to happen the requesting club must pay a fee which is refunded if their review is successful. They then must make their representations in writing to the Department of Player Safety with all relevant supporting evidence.
How long have teams got to make to decide if they want an incident reviewed?
For all Friday, Saturday and Sunday games, this must be done by 6pm on Monday evening for DOPS to consider the case.
For all games Monday to Thursday, the deadline is 6pm the following day to submit any requests.
Teams have 24 hours to send any supporting evidence to the DOPS email address after notification of investigations.
Any requests or evidence after this time will not be considered.
Why are review requests from Friday, Saturday and Sunday games not considered until Monday?
There are two main reasons, one is the practical side of the the decision making process. Simon and his DOPS committee are all often working games over the weekend and rather than rush decisions, the Elite League board decided it was best for all parties to hold the requests deadline until Monday.
On the other side of things, teams are often travelling until the early hours following games, and it was felt, that rather than waste time and money on an emotional review, it is better to give coaches and GM’s time make their decisions with calm heads.
Should a player receive a match penalty on a Friday or a Saturday, he will receive the minimum tariff for that incident (an automatic 1 game ban) prior to review , so would be suspended for the following night with an automatic review to follow.
When do clubs find out if they have a player under review or has been suspended?
DOPS will release information to ALL clubs of which cases it is reviewing on a Monday night before midnight.
DOPS will release information on social media of which cases it is reviewing on Tuesday.
DOPS will release review results to ALL clubs on Tuesday evening before midnight.
DOPS will release review results to media and fans via social media with video explanation on Wednesday afternoon.
For midweek games, please allow 48 hours for all results to be made public, however all clubs will be informed of review results prior to release.
Can clubs appeal a suspension?
Yes, if the suspension is two games or more, then the club and player in question can request an appeal. To do this they must lodge an appeals fee with the league, which is refunded if the appeal is successful.
A one match ban cannot be appealed. This is a decision taken by the Elite League board because the appeals process can be both complex and expensive. It was agreed by all 10 teams making up the board that in order for DOPS to operate successfully, a minimum one game ban would be accepted without question.
Why can’t evidence of any kind be considered after a decision has been made?
All teams ask DOPS to make the decision with the information they have in front of them prior to the deadlines. To consider evidence later sets a precedent, which could allow teams to withhold information until the last possible moment to gain an advantage. All 10 clubs agree that it is crucial the deadlines are kept by all parties.
Why is DOPS giving out social media fines?
As the Elite League’s independent disciplinary body, the EIHL board felt it was sensible for DOPS to take charge of all social media fines and also media fines should players/coaches and staff chose to go outside media guidelines set by the league.
This is monitored by the EIHL media department and thankfully there are thousands of pairs of eyes , who help monitor what is said and report any transgressions.
Anything to add?
DOPS was appointed by the 10 Elite League clubs to try and follow the route of the NHL in keeping the players safe whilst on the ice. Dangerous hits to the head, neck and back are something the EIHL is keen to cut out. Player injuries from these incidents mean teams can’t put their strongest side out on the ice, so there needs to be a deterrent and that is where DOPS comes in.
There is no doubt DOPS will be unpopular at times and people may disagree with the decisions, but Simon Kirkham and his committee will make the calls they believe are correct following the rules of the game.
Owners, fans, players, coaches and DOPS all want to see full rosters playing every night, but not at the expense of player safety or the rules of the game. It is always worth asking the question, did the player need to do that? Most of the time the answer is no.
