JFF Protest Dismissed By FIFA After Failure to File Protest In Allotted Time Frame
FIFA has ruled for the dismissal of the protest filed by the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF), in connection with the game played on November 16 last year between the Reggae Boyz and the United States.
The game which ended at the final whistle on 1-1, is the centre of the controversy as the JFF believes that in the CONCACAF World Cup Qualifier, played at the National Stadium in Jamaica between the two teams, a foul was committed.
According to the Jamaica team, referee Juan Gabriel Calderon did not call a hand ball after they pointed out that the ball had struck Chris Richards in the penalty area and he should be penalised. This occurred during the first half of the game.
Additionally, well into the second half of the game, in the 84th minute, Damion Lowe was cited by the Costa Rican referee for infringement and a goal that he had scored was disallowed.
Lowe scored the goal when Leon Bailey was given a corner kick, he can be seen heading the ball, at the top of the 6-yard box, above Walker Zimmerman into the left side of the goal post, outwitting US goalkeeper, Zack Steffen.
FIFA’s disciplinary committee revealed in their eight-page decision, that the JFF failed to report the discrepancies within the allotted time period, which is two hours after a match, and the payment of 1,000 Swiss or US$1075 at the time, was not made to furnish their claim. The JFF could not offer any proof that either of these conditions was satisfied.
On November 23, FIFA in making its decision said, “Two out of the three conditions for a protest to be admissible from a procedural perspective had not been met…” Hence the governing body had no choice but to dismiss the protest put forward by the JFF.
The decision was later signed by Carlos Schneider, director of FIFA judicial bodies on January 3 and released to the Associated Press (AP).
