The GAA disciplinary process is again coming under the spotlight as Diarmuid Connolly and Dublin ponder their next step against his 12-week suspension.
Connolly had been punished by the Central Competitions Control Committee (CCCC) for laying his hand on the shoulder of linesman Ciarán Branagan during the Dubs' Leinster SFC quarter-final win over Carlow earlier this month.
The Central Hearings Committee (CHC) reviewed footage of the incident upon Connolly's request and decided that the Dublin wing-forward's actions warranted a sanction for 'minor physical interference with an official'.
The CHC upheld the ban after a near five-hour meeting in Portlaoise that ended in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
So, what next for Connolly?
He may decide to accept the original decision but, after challenging it once already to the CHC, it is likely he will take his appeal to Central Appeals Committee (CAC).
An appeal from Connolly must be lodged by Monday morning, though, crucially, the CAC only considers the procedural aspects of the case, rather than re-hearing all the evidence.
Should the ban remain upheld, it can either be accepted or taken finally to the Disputes Resolution Authority (DRA).
It is the final option available after losing at CAC, and it was a DRA ruling in 2015 that allowed Connolly participate in the 2015 All-Ireland semi-final replay against Mayo following a red card in the drawn encounter.
As things stand currently, Dublin will be without the services of the two-time All Star until the end of August, with the ban due to expire on midnight before the second All-Ireland football semi-final, which takes place on 27 August.
This is the game the Dubs will feature in should they progress that far in the competition and go the direct route.
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