Decision Review System Outcome, Week 49 of 2025

Peterborough Phantoms #19 Luke Ferrara

The DRS request submitted by Sheffield from their fixture on 6th December 2025 in Peterborough is upheld. The incident has not been referred to EIH DOPS.

After reviewing all the available footage, it is clear that the Peterborough player uses his elbow in an upward motion as he checks the Sheffield player and contact with the head is made.

While the referee was close, he would have been unsighted due to the body position of the checking player.

Additional footage was provided from all available camera angles, but this does not allow us to determine whether this contact is primary or secondary. As such, we cannot definitively rule this as an Illegal Check to the Head or Neck.

However, due to the nature of the check and the way the elbow was used, we have determined that the correct call for this incident would be a five minute Major plus Game Misconduct penalty for Elbowing under Rule 45.

45.4. MAJOR PENALTY AND GAME MISCONDUCT PENALTY
The Referee, at their discretion, may assess a major penalty and a game misconduct penalty if, in their judgment, the Player recklessly endangers their opponent by “elbowing” and the Player would not be sufficiently sanctioned by imposing a major penalty.

Such assessment of reckless endangerment shall be based on the severity of the infraction, severity of the contact, the degree of violence and the general reprehensibility involved.

The player will be retrospectively assessed a Five minute Major plus Game Misconduct penalty, which will added to his playing record. He receives five penalty points for this offense. The player is free to play subject to accumulated penalty points