CONCACAF president Jack Warner expressed surprise when informed yesterday of reduced suspensions for the seven Bermuda soccer players arrested in Miami on drug charges late last year.

The seven -- Donnie Charles, Herbie Dillas, Kevin Jennings, Shawn Riley, Tokia Russell, Keishon Smith and Meshach Wade -- all had their domestic bans reduced from two years to one year following a recent ruling by a three-member Bermuda Football Association (BFA) appeals panel made up of honorary life vice-presidents.

It was the second time the players' bans had been slashed. Last December all seven players were slapped with provisional bans of seven years domestically and suspended from representing Bermuda for life.

The players now face a three-year international ban.

News of the change caught CONCACAF officials off guard at their headquarters in Trinidad and New York. Officials suggested that the BFA took advantage of a loophole created by FIFA when the world soccer body decreed that the matter be considered an internal one and should be handled exclusively by the BFA.

"When FIFA relegated it to an internal matter it allowed (the BFA) to lower the terms of the suspension,'' said CONCACAF official Scott Gleba in a telephone interview yesterday.

Warner, the controversial president who was severely critical of the BFA during the first few weeks of the crisis, said that he was anxious to learn of the circumstances surrounding the reduced bans.

"It's the first time I've heard of it, but a one-year ban can never be enough for what those guys are alleged to have done. On the surface it would seem as if the BFA are sending out the wrong message.'' CONCACAF general secretary Chuck Blaser, according to Gleba, said that if the appeals process went through all the proper channels "the BFA are within their rights to lower the suspensions.

"But FIFA will have to be notified of the decision and how they came to it.

Only then will it be determined if everything was done properly.'' The decision will now permit the players to compete on local pitches beginning on May 1, 1996, which means that the seven players could make their return in the annual Kenny Thompson six-a-side tournament. They would then be allowed to play the entire 1996-97 season.

The ruling also stated that if Russell was granted a scholarship abroad the path would actually be cleared for him to play for Dandy Town this season.

Riley's situation is more complicated since he is facing heroin charges.

The seven players pleaded no contest to drug possession charges last winter.

Five of the players participated in a recent six-a-side tournament, which was not sanctioned by the BFA.

"From the BFA's point of view, I'm not sure what benefit they saw by giving these players a chance to compete a year earlier,'' one CONCACAF official said yesterday. "I don't know what they're going to get beyond that and I don't know what the actual public reaction was in Bermuda. If drugs are a negative thing and a blight on any sport in society to lower suspensions might not be the best public relations move.'' BFA president Richard Thompson said yesterday that FIFA were notified of the reduced suspensions and staunchly defended the appeals process.

When asked on what basis the panel agreed to reduce the penalties he said: "They felt they were all very young men and it was their first offence and they didn't think two, three years or whatever out of football would have helped them. This is a democracy, the players appealed and I felt comfortable with the two years but the appeals committee felt differently. Whatever decision is made it's not going to please everyone.'' Thompson said that the suspensions cannot be reduced any more, and said the decision should not send out a wrong message to players and fans.

"The association has always been very serious about drugs, players going into the national programme sign documents and one of the conditions is in no way would we tolerate the use of drugs.'' He also stated that the seven players must still submit to a counselling programme.

Sir John Sharpe, chairman of the commission of inquiry into drugs in soccer, refused to comment on the matter, but said: "They've got their reasons (for reducing the suspensions), they may feel that the players have learned their lesson.'' In another matter, however, he criticised Government for not following through on two key recomendations made in the report.

One called for a monitoring process to see if progress on the report's recommendations was being made and the other called for an examination of possible fundraising options that would make the BFA more successful economically.

"It was a suggestion we made because of our interest and the feeling that unless progress was monitored it would tend to wither on the vine in both those areas,'' said Sir John. "I think they haven't taken advantage of a good offer. Maybe they will yet.'' MESHACH WADE -- the former national team star could be back in action next year following the BFA's decision to reduce to one year his and six other players' suspensions.