1
Sanction Suspended, Not Removed
The disciplinary measure stays on the player's record. It is the timing of enforcement that is paused — the punishment itself is not overturned or cancelled.
This distinction matters: a suspended sanction can still be enforced later, it hasn't disappeared from the player's disciplinary history.
2
Full or Partial Suspension Allowed
FIFA's judicial bodies may suspend all or only a portion of the sanction. The code does not specify the exact circumstances in which this power can be exercised.
This gives FIFA's judicial bodies significant discretion, since the code leaves the threshold for full vs. partial suspension undefined.
3
Probationary Period: 1 to 4 Years
Once a sanction is suspended, the player enters a probationary period of between one and four years. In Balogun's case, FIFA set this period at one year.
The one-year period set in Balogun's case sits at the shortest end of the four-year range allowed under the code.
4
Reactivation If Reoffended
If the player commits a similar infringement during the probationary window, the suspended ban is automatically reactivated — on top of any new penalty imposed for the fresh offence.
Reactivation is automatic, not discretionary — a fresh infringement during probation triggers the original suspended sanction without a separate hearing on that point.
5
One Exception: Match Manipulation
Sanctions related to match-fixing and manipulation cannot be suspended under any circumstances. Article 27 applies only to conventional disciplinary measures.
This carve-out protects the integrity of competition itself, treating manipulation as categorically more severe than standard disciplinary infractions.