Sanctions for unacceptable behaviour will resume in Illawarra football clubs for the foreseeable future.
In the 2024 Football South Coast (FSC) Men’s Premiership, there were 27 breaches for team misconduct offences (where a team receives five yellow cards in a match). Less than halfway through the 2025 season, there have already been 22 breaches.
The number of red cards that were handed out in 2024 is on par with the current 2025 season, showcasing a trend of continuing bad behaviour in local sports.
Data courtesy of FSC
Rex Leighton has served as FSC’s Disciplinary Commissioner for 14 years, while also representing the Association as both a referee and a council member.
Mr Leighton said fairness is fundamental to FSC’s approach to discipline.
“Whenever we’re dealing with someone, if allegations are made, we have to provide the party with procedural fairness and natural justice,” he said.
“We need to give them an appropriate time to respond, and we need to ensure that natural justice is applied to them.”
Mr Leighton said that these latest discipline-related statistics reflect a lack of respect between stakeholders in the local game.
Bad behaviour was seen ahead of the 2024 season, when spectators of the Cringila Lions threw flares on the WIN Stadium pitch following the 2023 Men’s Premiership Grand Finals.
“The problem is that passion does not equal poor discipline, and people cross the line between the two on many occasions,” he said.
“In many ways, I don’t think the violence or the on-field behaviour in a violent sense is anywhere near as bad these days as it was in the ‘70s and ‘80s.
“However, I think the lack of respect is much greater.
“And one of those things is societal. It’s the use of inappropriate language on the pitch that many people would consider unacceptable in other places such as a workplace.”
Foul and abusive language has been the third most common red card offence so far in 2025.
Data courtesy of FSC
| R1 | is guilty of serious foul play |
| R2 | is guilty of violent conduct |
| R3 | spits at an opponent or any other person |
| R4 | denies the opposing team a goal or an obvious goal-scoring opportunity by deliberately handling the ball (this does not apply to a goalkeeper within his penalty area) |
| R5 | denies an obvious goal-scoring opportunity to an opponent moving towards the player’s goal by an offence punishable by a free kick or a penalty kick. |
| R6 | uses offensive or insulting or abusive language and /or gestures |
| R7 | receives a second caution in the same match |
Mr Leighton also said that the disrespect on the field has extended beyond referees and concerns comments between players, coaches and spectators.
“Disrespect in the technical areas is one thing that’s grown incredibly,” he said.
“It has become more and more evident that everyone is trying to be the mini Jose Mourinho or someone.
“They want to model themselves on their heroes.
“It’s not so much violent behaviour, but it’s inappropriate behaviour increasing in leadership positions.”
Data courtesy of FSC
The common length of suspension in 2025 has been one game, as most red cards consist of R7 breaches (two yellow cards to the same player in a match).
Round 12 of the Men’s Premiership gets underway this weekend, with most fields sufficiently recovered from the recent rain.