Doesn't seem to be ignored in other sports.
Gary Liddle, HARTLEPOOL v Brighton, 2010
Sunderland manager Gus Poyet found himself on the opposite end of an ineligible player debate back in 2010, when his Brighton side lost 2-0 to Hartlepool United, a team that included the banned Gary Liddle.
Liddle, who should have been starting the first of a two-game suspension after picking up his 10th booking of the season against Leyton Orient two days earlier, started for Pools after his ban failed to be processed amid the confusion of a Bank Holiday weekend.
Despite Liddle playing in good faith, Poyet led the campaign for Hartlepool to be deducted points and for the three points to be awarded to his side.
Despite Pools being duly deducted three points and hit with a £3,500 fine, the Uruguayan fumed when his side was left empty-handed calling the decision ‘totally wrong’.
Jon Worsnop, ALFRETON TOWN v Kidderminster, 2014
Just last month, Conference Premier side Alfrteton Town were deducted three points after they fielded an ineligible player in their 3-1 victory over Kidderminster.
Goalkeepr Jon Worsnop, who had been signed as an emergency loan on the day of the game from FC United of Manchester, played in the victory despite not having been registered in time.
The punishment was the same as the one that had also been issued to fellow non-league clubs Oxford City and Harrogate Town, who had also breached the same league rules this season.
Rob Purdie & Jake Robinson, HEREFORD UNITED v TORQUAY TOWN, 2011
In a rather unusual turn of events, the League Two game between Hereford United and Torquay Town saw not one, but BOTH sides field an ineligible player.
The game, in which ended up in a 3-1 victory for Hereford, saw midfielder Robbie Purdie and striker Jake Robinson, who opened the scoring for Torquay on the night, appear for their respective sides, despite neither of them being registered in time following the close of the January transfer window.
Although both clubs reported the breach of the rules to the Football League as soon as they were made aware of it, they were not spared punishment and they were both hit with a £17,500 fine, while Hereford were issued with a three point deduction and Torquay one.
Six players, FC Sion, 2011
Maybe the most remarkable case of a club breaching eligibility rules occurred back in 2011, when Swiss side FC Sion were deducted 36 points and kicked out of Europe after fielding a total of six ineligible players.
The Swiss side, who at the time were under a FIFA transfer embargo, proceeded to sign six players and play them in their Europa League play-off against Celtic, a competition they were subsequently expelled from.
With the Swiss FA initially reluctant to punish Sion, FIFA threatened to ban the Swiss national side and all their domestic clubs from their competitions if no action was taken.
As a result, Sion were deducted 36 points, three for each of the 12 games that one of the ineligible players featured in. The deduction left them rock bottom of the league on minus five points and left them facing an end-of season relegation play-off that they managed to successfully negotiate.
Emolio Nsue Lopez, EQUATORIAL GUINEA v Cape Verde, 2013
Equatorial Guinea were deducted three points from their 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign back in 2013 after they were found guilty of fielding an ineligible player in their two group games against Cape Verde.
Mallorca striker Emolio Nsue Lopez, who appeared in Guinea’s 4-3 victory and 2-1 defeat against Cape Verde, was deemed not to meet the FIFA eligibility criteria, and as a result Cape Verde were awarded two 3-0 victories.
This drama wasn’t over there though, as despite Cape Verde winning their final group deciding match against Tunisia, they were kicked out following the revelation that they themselves had fielded an ineligible player in their final decisive match.
