Hapoel Petah Tikva Faces Disciplinary Action for Playing With 12 Men
Translated & summarized from Srugim by baba
Hapoel Petah Tikva is facing a potential technical loss after playing with 12 players during their 1-1 draw against Maccabi Netanya. The incident occurred during stoppage time when player Roey Levi remained on the field after being scheduled for substitution. The club argues the referees share responsibility and plans to cite European precedents where similar situations did not result in a technical loss.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Hapoel Petah Tikva may receive a technical loss for playing with 12 players against Maccabi Netanya.
- The unusual event happened during stoppage time as Maor Levy scored a penalty to tie the game 1-1.
- Player Roey Levi remained on the field after being slated for substitution, with the club blaming officiating.
- The Football Association's prosecutor is expected to bring the team to a disciplinary hearing.
- Hapoel Petah Tikva will reference European cases where teams with 12 players were not penalized with a technical loss.
Hapoel Petah Tikva is likely to face disciplinary action, potentially a technical loss, after an unusual incident during their 1-1 draw against Maccabi Netanya. It was discovered that the team played with 12 players on the field for several moments deep into stoppage time, coinciding with Maor Levy's penalty kick that leveled the score.
The Football Association's legal department is expected to receive the match report on Sunday. The association's prosecutor, Attorney Gilead Bergman, is reportedly set to bring the team before a disciplinary hearing for fielding an ineligible player. According to the association's regulations, this offense can result in a technical loss, though the tribunal has discretion to consider mitigating circumstances, including the role of the officiating crew in allowing the game to continue.
The player involved in the confusion was Roey Levi, who was supposed to be substituted but remained on the field. Hapoel Petah Tikva claims Levi did not notice his number on the substitution board because he was assisting teammate Erick Billeh off the field due to injury. The club intends to argue that the responsibility for ensuring the substitution was completed also lies with the referees, thus negating the need for a technical loss.
The disciplinary tribunal is expected to seek input from the main referee, Gal Leibovitz, and the fourth official, Yigal Fried. Team manager Eliran Bernstein and Roey Levi may also be called to provide their accounts.
Hapoel Petah Tikva plans to cite similar cases in top European leagues. Bayern Munich played with 12 players briefly against Freiburg in April 2022 without suffering a technical loss, with blame attributed to the referees. Fortuna Sittard also played with 12 men for 25 seconds in a February 2025 Dutch league match, leading to a corner kick from which they scored an equalizer. In that instance, it was determined the extra player did not influence the play, and the result stood. The Israeli tribunal will now decide if the circumstances, including the timing of the extra player during the equalizer and the referees' responsibility, warrant a technical loss for Hapoel Petah Tikva.
Mentioned
The same event, reported separately by each outlet. Open a few to compare what different newsrooms emphasize — and what they leave out.
Centre 3Right 2Other 1
Not the same event — other stories that share this one’s people, places, or theme: background, reactions, and follow-ups.