FIFA Dismisses Jamaica's Protest Over World Cup Qualifying Draw With USMNT

Jamaica took issue with two referee decisions but didn't follow protocol to properly file its protest.

FIFA has dismissed a protest filed by the Jamaica Football Federation over its 1-1 draw with the United States in a World Cup qualifier on Nov. 16.

In a 34-point, eight-page decision, FIFA's disciplinary committee said Jamaica failed to notify the match commissioner of the protest and failed to make a payment of 1,000 Swiss francs (then $1,075) to accompany the protest.

“Two out of the three conditions for a protest to be admissible from a procedural perspective had not been met. As such, the committee stressed that it had no other option but to consider the protest to be inadmissible,” FIFA said in a decision dated Nov. 23, signed by director of FIFA judicial bodies Carlos Schneider on Jan. 3 and obtained by The Associated Press.

Jamaica said Costa Rican referee Juan Gabriel Calderón improperly failed to call a hand ball in the first half, when Reggae Boyz claimed Chris Richards should have been penalized for a ball that struck him in the penalty area.

Jamaica also said Damion Lowe should have been credited with a goal in the 84th minute when he leapt above Walker Zimmerman at the top of the 6-yard box and headed Leon Bailey’s corner kick to the left of U.S. goalkeeper Zack Steffen. Calderón cited Lowe for infringement and disallowed the goal.

FIFA's disciplinary committee said Jamaica “JFF failed to provide a copy of its original protest to the match commissioner, nor evidence that said protest had been submitted in writing to the latter within two hours of the match.”