Players sent off during the Regional Council Cup escaped suspension last night as the Hong Kong Football Association decided all the red and yellow cards from the pre-season tournament would be replaced by fines.
Referees handed out a total of eight red and 45 yellow cards during the eight-day tournament, which finished on August 17.
The HKFA council made the decision based on the fact that the tournament was an unofficial one.
'Some of the players who played in the tournament were not registered players - and the aim of this tournament was to give a test to the new players. It was more like a pre-season training tournament,' said HKFA chairman Victor Hui Chun-fui.
'It is not nice to see eight players being suspended for their first league games. We want all the First Division clubs fielding their best side to kick off the season.
'So it is better for us to punish the players who were sent off or booked with fines.