KHU fires warning to clubs over growing trend of protesting match decisions
Reading Time: 3min | Sat. 27.06.26. | 15:31
The directive comes after a series of disputes during the opening weeks of the 2026 KHU season, with several clubs raising concerns over umpiring decisions
The Kenya Hockey Union (KHU) has reminded clubs to follow the laid-down protest procedures after expressing concern over what it described as a growing trend of team managers refusing to sign match sheets at the end of league matches.
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In a communication sent to clubs, the union said the refusal by team managers to sign official match reports as a form of protest goes against both KHU and International Hockey Federation (FIH) tournament regulations and will attract disciplinary action regardless of the outcome of the match.
The directive comes after a series of disputes during the opening weeks of the 2026 KHU season, with several clubs raising concerns over umpiring decisions, while others have questioned match results. In some instances, team managers have declined to sign the official match sheets in protest.
KHU clarified that signing the match report is a mandatory administrative responsibility and should not be interpreted as an endorsement of umpiring decisions made during a match.
According to the union, the signature merely serves as official confirmation that the match was played and that the recorded score, statistics and other match details have been accurately captured.
"The signature does not signify agreement with all umpiring decisions, but rather it serves as an official acknowledgement that the match was played and that the recorded scores, match details and statistics are accurate and correctly captured," the communication states.
The union warned that refusing to sign the match report constitutes a direct violation of tournament protocol and will result in independent disciplinary action and administrative sanctions against the offending club.
Instead, KHU has urged clubs to use the formal protest process outlined in its rules and regulations whenever they wish to challenge an umpiring decision, dispute an incident or raise procedural concerns.
Under the regulations, a team manager intending to lodge a protest must indicate that intention while signing the match sheet immediately after the match. The written protest must then be submitted to the Technical Delegate or Technical Officer within 30 minutes of the final whistle.
Once the protest has been formally declared, the club is required to pay a protest fee of Ksh25,000 within the stipulated time for the complaint to be considered valid.
The rules further provide that the Match Committee will review any valid protest before forwarding its recommendations to the KHU Executive Committee, which is expected to communicate its decision before the protesting team's next fixture. All rulings made by the union in such cases are final and binding.
The latest reminder reinforces KHU's push to ensure clubs adhere to established competition procedures as the 2026 season gathers momentum across the Men's and Women's Premier League, Super League and National League competitions.
Earlier this season, the union also issued a series of operational and safety directives aimed at standardising matchday procedures, improving discipline and safeguarding the integrity of league competitions.
With the season now entering a busy phase, KHU has called on clubs, team officials and players to respect the regulations governing the competition while using the established channels to address grievances, rather than disrupting post-match procedures.