Waratahs lock Jed Holloway has been suspended for three weeks after pleading guilty to elbowing Sharks' prop Thomas du Toit in the head.
He was sent off in the 45th minute of Saturday's 23-15 Super Rugby loss at Sydney's Bankwest Stadium.
The ban means Holloway will miss the Waratahs' two games in South Africa against the Bulls and Lions and an Australian derby with the Queensland Reds in Brisbane.
A SANZAAR committee deemed the act of foul play merited a mid-range entry point of six weeks, but a number of factors contributed to reducing the ban.
"Taking into account mitigating factors including the player's clean judicial record, the player's expressed remorse and the fact the player has pleaded guilty at the first available opportunity, the foul play review committee reduced the suspension to three weeks," said committee chairman Adam Casselden SC.
The Waratahs are running second in the Australian conference, four points behind the Melbourne Rebels.