Grassroots soccer players in NSW have been warned they risk five-match suspensions for “inappropriate goal celebrations” while clubs could be fined for not reining them in after a player marked a stoppage-time strike by parading a Palestinian flag.

State governing body Football NSW sent a letter to all clubs last week in response to a seemingly pre-planned celebration by Mt Druitt Town Rangers forward Roukayah Al Fararjeh in a 2-0 victory over APIA Leichhardt in the NSW NPL women’s competition on March 30.

Al Fararjeh sealed the result by scoring Mt Druitt’s second goal in the second minute of stoppage time at Popondetta Park and immediately ran to the home side’s bench, where a teammate was holding a Palestinian flag.

The 19-year-old, who plays international soccer for Jordan, took the flag, ran back onto the field and held it aloft, as seen in Football NSW’s live stream of the match on YouTube.

Al Fararjeh was not sanctioned by the referee nor punished subsequently, though she should have been shown a yellow card under the laws of the game, which classifies the display of flags or banners in goal celebrations as a cautionable offence.

While there was no significant reaction to the incident at the ground, Football NSW moved quickly to discourage similar behaviour after receiving a number of complaints, fearing the way that such situations could escalate if opposition fans or other spectators were to respond negatively.

In the letter seen by this masthead, Football NSW’s head of competitions Troy McCall wrote to club representatives: “We are writing to remind you of the concerns we have in relation to players celebrating goals in front of opposition spectators and the potential such celebrations have to provoke or incite opposition spectators and thereby potentially injure players. While retaliatory behaviour by spectators is inexcusable and will not be tolerated by Football NSW, clubs and their players must ensure that their actions, in particular, their goal celebrations, do not provoke or incite opposition spectators or players.”

McCall said that clubs would be subject to initial fines of $1500 and $5000 for second or subsequent offences, for any players or club officials who celebrate goals in an “inappropriate” way, including by celebrating in front of opposition spectators or by displaying any flags or banners.