The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have reportedly introduced a new demerit points system for the new season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). They will now follow a system that is based on the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Code of Conduct but with a few changes. The highlight being that the ICC’s rules see the demerit points being carried forward for five years while the BCCI’s system will be for three years as mentioned in a report by Cricbuzz. “The demerit points received by a player or team official under the regulations remain on their record for a period of thirty-six (36) months,” the BCCI mentioned as quoted by Cricbuzz. The report claims that accumulating four to seven demerit points will mean a one-match sustention, 8-11 points for a 2-match suspension, 12-15 points for a 3-match suspension and 16 or more for a five-game suspension in the span of three years. The amount of demerit points issued will be dependent on the kind of offence committed. A Level 1 offence will see one demerit point being issued and a fine of 25 per cent of the match fees. Level 2 offence can see 3-4 points being issued, 5-6 points for a Level 3 offence and 7-8 points for a Level 4 breach. Another point to note is that the punishment can be imposed for a specific period or matches and this is determined by the match referee or an ombudsman. “Where a Match Referee or Ombudsman imposes a period of suspension on any Player or Team Official, then, unless such period is for a fixed period of time (for example, one year) then, any such period of suspension shall be referenced by Suspension Points. Each Match in the League shall carry the weightage of one (1) Suspension Point. To clarify, a sanction of one (1) Suspension Point shall result in a one (1) Match suspension,” the report quotes the BCCI here. The new regulations have been given the go-ahead by the IPL Governing Council and the captains and the respective teams were notifed regarding these changes during the meeting earlier. The new season is set to begin with the defending champions, Kolkata Knight Riders taking on the Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Eden Gardens stadium in Kolkata on March 22 (Saturday).