Football Court Hears Hapoel Petah Tikva Appeal on Technical Loss

Hapoel Petah Tikva has appealed a technical loss awarded after they fielded 12 players against Maccabi Netanya in a match that ended 1-1. The appeal was heard by the Supreme Court of the Football Association on Tuesday. The court concluded the procedural hearing, with both sides presenting their arguments. A decision is expected within days, and the original penalty currently stands. Either side can appeal to a civil court if unsatisfied.

Hapoel Petah Tikva's lawyer, Ifargan, argued that the circumstances were highly unusual and that the outcome did not reflect the majority of the game, which was played for over 90 minutes without any other infractions. He highlighted that the opposing team managed to equalize after the incident, suggesting the focus on the 12-player situation overshadowed the actual play.

Judge Professor Deutsch questioned whether the player involved was ineligible due to a technicality, comparing it to a player who should have been substituted but remained on the field. Prosecutor Bergman stated the substitution was a triple-change, and the player who entered was not the one intended to replace the player leaving. Ifargan countered that the referees admitted to a lapse, attributing it to confusion caused by a new rule allowing players to exit from various parts of the field quickly.

Bergman further argued that a recent "ten-second" rule amendment created ambiguity, and that referees should have issued a yellow card to a player refusing to leave the field, which would have resulted in a red card. He cited a similar case involving Marmorek where an extra 'pulse' was considered. Ifargan presented precedents, including the World Cup final between Argentina and France and a match involving Bayern Munich, arguing that the focus should be on the potential impact and not just the duration of the infraction, and that the referee's role is to prevent such errors.