DFPL two-point penalties for non-compliance
TO emphasise development and promote district-level club games, the Fiji Football Association will penalise non-compliant districts by deducting two points from their standings in the Digicel Fiji Premier League (DFPL) after each evaluation period.
This was approved in the Fiji FA Council meeting held in Lautoka yesterday.
“We used to give each district $5000 at the start of the year to complete their club games, however, there are some districts who are not completing their club games,” said Fiji Football president Rajesh Patel.
“The local league is compulsory, and each district has to complete it, otherwise they will now lose points in the DFPL. Four windows are given to them to hold it and in each window they don’t complete their club rounds, they will lose two points from their DFPL tally.”
Patel said they were serious about districts completing their club games.
“We will now not give them $5000 unless they complete their local league competitions.”
Another resolution from the council meeting stipulates that a player must complete 12 months of active participation in a specific district before becoming eligible to request a transfer to another district.
“If any player takes a transfer in January, they can’t move to another district within a few months, they have to complete a full year at the club and this will be backdated to January 1, 2024.”
Patel announced that players holding Fijian passports, who have previously resided overseas and returned to the country, are now allowed to participate in the DFPL at any point during the competition. This approval from the Council is contingent upon them representing the district from which they obtained their International Transfer Certificate (ITC).
The DFPL will kicks off February 18 with Rewa taking on Labasa at Ratu Cakabou Park, Ba facing Suva at the Fiji FA Academy grounds in Ba, Nadi taking on Tailevu Naitasiri at Prince Charles Park in Nadi, Nasinu hosting Lautoka at the HFC Bank Stadium while Navua takes on Nadroga at the Uprising Sports Complex in Pacific Harbour.