Following the decision from the RFU disciplinary panel to reject Martin Johnson's appeal against a 21 day ban Premier Rugby chief Howard Thomas has called for a shake-up for referees.

Leading lawyer Michael Pannick, who chaired the appeal hearing, advised in his 19-page summing up that the RFU should define the circumstances under which similar cases can be brought.

Howard Thomas, acting chief executive of Premier Rugby Partnership - the joint venture between the Premiership clubs and the professional players, now thinks the soccer offers the solution to union's ills.

Even though they use video evidence to charge players for foul play unseen by the referee, the Football Association will not take further action against a player if the referee has already handed out a yellow card.

However, there have been instances already this season where the FA have dropped referees from Barclaycard Premiership duty because they have not produced the correct punishment for a particular crime.

"That is the way it should be," said Thomas. "If the referee had sent Martin Johnson off everyone would have been comfortable with that. In this instance, most people believed that the referee got it wrong."

Thomas called on the RFU to look at a variety of disciplinary procedures, including the 'on-report' system used in rugby league.

However, he is concerned that today's judgement has given the RFU disciplinary officer too much power.

"This decision, which was on an unprecedented legal basis, has confirmed a potentially unlimited brief for the disciplinary officer which in our opinion is not in the best interests of professional rugby," said Thomas.

"This is the first time a disciplinary officer has used this particular regulation and we are worried he will be pressurised into using it more often. In our opinion, the referee's decision should be final."

Leicester will be without their captain for Saturday's Premiership trip to Bath, plus the visit of second-placed Gloucester to Welford Road seven days later.

Johnson must also sit out the resumption of England's Lloyds TSB Six Nations campaign against Wales at Twickenham on March 23, before returning to club duty against Wasps at Loftus Road on Easter Sunday.

Leicester chief executive Peter Wheeler described it as "a landmark judgement, which has turned on its head what all of us in professional rugby believed the situation to be".

"There are no winners in this case and the game of rugby union stands to lose the most unless England Rugby undertakes a comprehensive review of the game's disciplinary process," said a statement issued on behalf of both Leicester and Johnson, who was not present at today's hearing.

"The manner in which Martin's case has been dealt with has shown that certain structures are both inconsistent and illogical.

"During the course of today's appeal the RFU has accepted that this case is totally without precedent.

"The powers that the disciplinary officer invoked to instigate proceedings against Martin have not been used before or since, even though there has been opportunity to do so.

"We now call upon England Rugby to act immediately in meaningful consultation with all relevant parties to replace what the RFU describes as a 'relatively informal disciplinary process' with a structure acceptable to players, referees and clubs alike."