The Canadian Football League has fined four players following an ugly late-game altercation in the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ 37-18 victory over the B.C. Lions last Saturday.
Saskatchewan defensive linemen Micah Johnson and Mike Rose, as well as B.C. offensive linemen Chris Schleuger and Anu Una, received supplemental discipline for committing non-football acts during the minor scuffle.
The incident occurred following a one-yard run by Lions’ running back James Butler with 2:44 remaining in the fourth quarter. Johnson and Schleuger both received unnecessary roughness penalties for the altercation, but Rose and Una were not initially flagged. DeMarcus Fields and Shane Ray were also penalized for Saskatchewan, resulting in a net 25-yard loss on the play, though neither player was fined by the league.
After the game, Riders’ head coach Corey Mace specifically addressed the short-lived brawl, calling it “B.S.” Saskatchewan has been assessed over 100 yards in penalties in consecutive weeks.
The CFL assessed just one other fine from a different game in Week 4, dinging Toronto linebacker Cameron Judge for delivering a high hit on Ottawa quarterback Dustin Crum.
As per CFL policy, the fine amounts were not disclosed. Under the terms of the current collective bargaining agreement, the maximum allowable fine is half a game-cheque.
The CFL’s Department of Health, Safety and Integrity manages any league discipline that does not require a suspension. Fines are determined by a panel consisting of chief football operations officer Greg Dick, vice-president of officiating Darren Hackwood, associate vice-president of football operations Ryan Janzen, and associate vice-president of health and safety Eric Noivo.
Discipline related to dress code violations, those involving teams or staff, and those involving players who have been released are not shared publicly.
