Players will have swifter justice in the Aire-Wharfe League, which starts tomorrow.

A working group has been meeting over the winter with the remit of speeding up the league’s disciplinary procedure.

“We haven’t brought this in because we have a particular disciplinary problem,” explained league secretary Dave Alred.

“It is just that one or two players, clubs, umpires and management committee members thought the process took too long.

“It could take two or three weeks for umpires’ reports and hearings etc or even longer if it was a serious case and witnesses needed to be called.

“We have used the YCB-ECB template and now a player who commits a Level One offence (showing dissent at an umpire’s decision, using obscene language or gestures, excessive appealing or abusing the turf, equipment, fixtures and fittings) can expect an immediate one-week ban.

“We have tried to simplify things so that offences aren’t a mimumim of so many weeks or a maximum of so many weeks.”

Alred added: “Players still have the right of appeal but I feel that if they abuse that by appealing so that they can play the following weekend and then admit that they are guilty then the ban should be doubled.

“The working group consisted of players, umpires, club officials and league management, and the new system will be under constant review and will be thoroughly reviewed at the end of the season.”