Canada's women's soccer team has been dropped by six points at the Olympics and coach Bev Priestman has been suspended for a year after a drone was used to spy on a rival team's practice sessions.

FIFA announced the sanctions, which include a fine of 200,000 Swiss francs (about 226,000 US dollars) against the Canadian Soccer Association (CSA), on Saturday, a day after the English decision. Priestman dismissed as Canada head coach at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

CSA officials Joseph Lombardi and Jasmine Mander were also suspended by the FIFA for one year.

FIFA, football's governing body, said Team Canada's use of the drone was a “violation” of its principles.

“The officials were found responsible for offensive behaviour and violation of the principles of fair play in relation to the use of drones by the CSA women's representative team in the context of the Olympic football tournament,” FIFA said in a statement.

Priestman has “voluntarily” stepped down as coach for Canada's opening match against New Zealand after the country's Olympic committee reported that A drone flew over their training session on Monday.

FIFA and the CSA have opened an investigation, with the latter considering it “very likely” that the 38-year-old coach was aware of the incident.

There The CSA can appeal the decision before the Court of Arbitration for Sport and, in a statement responding to the sanctions, its CEO Kevin Blue and Canadian Olympic Committee CEO David Shoemaker said an appeal was under consideration.

“We are studying the possibilities of appealing given that it is excessively punitive towards female players of our women's national team, who have not been involved in any unethical behavior,” Blue said.

“The CSA has taken swift action to suspend the staff members involved and is also conducting a broad independent review which could lead to further disciplinary action,” the statement added.

Shoemaker, for his part, said: “We feel bad for the athletes on the Canadian women's Olympic football team who, to the best of our knowledge, played no role in this matter.”

In a statement released Wednesday, Priestman said he took responsibility for the actions of his colleagues after a reconnaissance report submitted by Lombardi was sent to Mander.

On Thursday, a French court said Lombardi had been given an eight-month suspended prison sentence after pleading guilty to flying a drone in an urban area without a permit.

The next day, Shoemaker said there “appears to be information that could tarnish” Canada's triumph in women's soccer at the Tokyo Games.

This followed reports in Canadian media that drones had been used in previous tournaments.

Assistant coach Andy Spence will take charge for the remainder of the Games, with the recent Olympic champions' next match against France on Sunday.

Canada beat New Zealand in their first match to earn three points, but the FIFA sanction leaves them -3 in Group A, with games against the host nation and Colombia to come.

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