PARIS — FIFA deducted six points from Canada in the Paris Olympics women’s soccer tournament and banned three coaches for one year each on Saturday in a drone spying scandal.

The stunning swath of punishments include a 200,000 Swiss francs ($226,000) fine for the Canadian soccer federation in a case that has spiralled at the Summer Games. Two assistant coaches were caught using drones to spy on opponent New Zealand’s practices before their opening game Thursday. Canada won 2-1.

Head coach Bev Priestman, who led Canada to the Olympic title in Tokyo in 2021, already was suspended by the national soccer federation then removed from the Olympic tournament. She is now banned from all soccer for one year.

FIFA fast-tracked its own disciplinary process by asking its appeals judges to handle the case.

FIFA judges found Priestman and her two assistants “were each found responsible for offensive behaviour and violation of the principles of fair play.”

Priestman and the Canadian federation now can challenge their sanctions at the Court of Arbitration’s special Olympic court in Paris.

In a shocking turn of events, Canada’s Olympic soccer team has been dealt a major blow by FIFA. The team has lost six points in their qualifying campaign for the upcoming Olympics, and their coaches have been banned for one year.

The controversy stems from a recent match where Canada was found to have fielded an ineligible player. FIFA rules dictate that only players under the age of 23 can participate in the Olympic qualifying tournament, and it was discovered that one of Canada’s players was over the age limit.

As a result of this violation, Canada has been docked six points in their qualifying group. This setback puts their chances of making it to the Olympics in serious jeopardy, as they now sit at the bottom of their group standings.

In addition to the points deduction, Canada’s coaching staff has also been hit with a one-year ban by FIFA. The governing body has taken a strong stance against any form of cheating or rule-breaking, and this punishment serves as a warning to other teams who may be tempted to bend the rules.

The loss of points and the ban on the coaching staff is a devastating blow to Canada’s Olympic soccer hopes. The team will now have to regroup and try to salvage their qualifying campaign without their coaches on the sidelines.

It remains to be seen how Canada will respond to this setback, but one thing is clear: FIFA is serious about upholding the integrity of the game, and any attempts to cheat or gain an unfair advantage will not be tolerated.