By Amaechi Agbo

Every league, just like a society, has rules guiding it’is conduct and the activities of the players involved in the league, Bestchoicesports.com.ng Editor, Amaechi Agbo, writes.

The Nigeria National League, NLL, which prides itself as the “most important league” in the country has witnessed some cases of violence in match venues this season

And in order to ensure that such unbecoming displays are not repeated anywhere in the league, the management of the league has at various time gave out sanctions against defaulting clubs, officials, players and in some cases, ordered the arrest of fans who perpetrated such heinous and unprofessional acts in the field of play.

Just within a week, the NNL has issued out punishments to erring clubs who had ran foul of the league’s law book. Among the sanctions imposed on these clubs includes fins, playing few matches behind closed doors (with a threat of banishment in future occurrence) and award of three points and three goals for the team that was at the receiving end of the violent act.

While other punishments may be considered detergent enough, the award of three points and three goals, a situation applied solely when a team is worked over in a match, has become a disturbing tradition within the football circle.

On Monday May 13, the NNL came up with its resolution against Malumfashi FC during their home match against Kada City in Katsina, restricted the club to play its next three matches behind closed door, directed the club’s President Alhaji Sirajo Baba to return the match officials’ bags in his custody within three days, arrest the fans that disrupted the match and finally awarded three points and three goals to the visiting team, Kada City of Kaduna.

Of course, this is not the first time the league is awarding three points and three goals to a club.

De Sapele Lions Football Club where on May 8 fined five hundred thousand naira (N500,000.00) for abandoning their away match against Akwa Starlets in Uyo.

And “Accordingly, Akwa Starlets have been award 3 points and 3 goals,” the league had said in its ruling.

These are two cases in which the decision to award three points and three goals to clubs presumed to be affected by an act of violence or disruption of a match have been carried out just within a week.

But is the league management justified in following this path?

The NNL Chief Operating Office, Lawrence Katken told our correspondent in an interview that “It is not a boardroom decision to award three points and three goals to any club. What we have done so far are enshrined in the rules and status guiding the league.

“In every instance we have such violence, the relevant sections of the rule book backing the decisions are quoted. We are not doing anything outside the rule book and the clubs are aware of these.

“If you think that awarding three points and three goals are inimical to the progress of the league, then inform the Nigeria Football Federation to review it. Our duty is to implement the rules as enshrined,” he said.

In response to discussion on the implications of such decision, a seasoned sports journalists, Niyi Busari posed the following questions: “I think the days of Board Room points are over.

“Dolling out 3 points to Kada City is to encourage other teams to toe the same line, seeking 3 maximum Board room points.

“Can other teams enjoy the same decision from the NNL management ?

“I hope Kada City are not promised return ticket to the NPFL?”

In September 2013, the League Management Company (LMC) announced the cancellation of boardroom points for clubs in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL). Both LMC and the 20 premier league clubs then signed to respect the abolition of the boardroom points.

The return of the award of boardroom points and goals in the NNL from observable trends, appears to be the rise of a heinous monster in the league