Player Eligibility Quiz

[eme]

High-school or Federation/NFHS rules since this is most likely to happen there rather than a college game.

Ten minutes to game time. Officials check in with home team A coach, do their business, and then go see the visiting team B coach. Coach B says, "I see A12 warming up. He is not supposed to be playing. He was ejected their last game for fighting. I have the newspaper article with me if you want to see it."

What is your response?

[LaxRef]

High-school or Federation/NFHS rules since this is most likely to happen there rather than a college game.

Ten minutes to game time. Officials check in with home team A coach, do their business, and then go see the visiting team B coach. Coach B says, "I see A12 warming up. He is not supposed to be playing. He was ejected their last game for fighting. I have the newspaper article with me if you want to see it."

What is your response?

Here are my thoughts:

First, I'd check with the opposing coach and see what he had to say. If he agreed that the player had been ejected from their previous game for fighting, I'd inform him that the player is not premitted to play in the currect game and, in fact, is not even allowed to be at the game site. However, I would allow the suspended player to remain on the bench if he was a minor in the same way that a player who is ejected from an NFHS game may remain on the bench. I would give the coach the benefit of the doubt, since sometimes the officials do not remember to tell the coach that the player will be suspended. I would then explain the situation to the visiting coach.

If the home coach denies the ejection, then it gets interesting. I'd inform him that I would be calling my assignor on my partner's cell phone (I'm the only person left in the country without one) to check on the suspension. If it turned out that the player was indeed ejected from the last game, I would consider his prior answer to be unsportsmanlike conduct. I'd ask him if he'd like to reconsider his answer, making clear that if he again denied it and it turned out that the player had been ejected then I would consider that to be a second USC and an ejection. In addition, I would be ejecting the inelegible player, who would now be facing a second suspension, which would likely be for multiple games.

Then I'd call my assignor if necessary. However, I think at this point I would have mustered enough of a threat to figure out what the story is.

However, if I couldn't get in touch with anyone to confirm the ejection, I'd be forced to let the kid play because I wasn't notified about the suspension. I do think, however, that the home coach would still be looking at a suspension from the league.

[ploaref]

I don't have the 2005 book yet, but where in the 2004 NFHS book does it say that the player may not participate in the next contest? My understanding of this issue is that at the high school level, this is a league matter. MOST leagues in our area enforce a next-game suspension for players AND coaches that are ejected, so being on the same page with your assignor and the league reps is critical here, for questions like this that arise last-minute...

[LaxRef]

I don't have the 2005 book yet, but where in the 2004 NFHS book does it say that the player may not participate in the next contest? My understanding of this issue is that at the high school level, this is a league matter. MOST leagues in our area enforce a next-game suspension for players AND coaches that are ejected, so being on the same page with your assignor and the league reps is critical here, for questions like this that arise last-minute...

This is true. However, I think the implicit assumption in the question was that the league in question does suspend people for ejections. I've never understood why the NFHS rulebook doesn't mandate suspensions.

[Laxref_36]

eme, ploaref, and laxref,

You guys are far superior to me when it comes to officiating. I have enought problem concentrating on the game. I never worry about suspended players. If a coach says something to me regarding another teams player, my response is: "Coach that's a league matter." There is nothing in the book regarding NEXT game suspension. I would let the player compete in the game, call the assignor and let the assignor deal with this.

If I got a call before hand from the assignor (night before), that is a different story. I would then call both Athletic Directors (If it had not been done before.) just to make sure that BOTH coachs have been informed, and this game is the one where the suspension would be upheld.

laxref_36

[Petem0ss]

I think the ref should tell both coaches that if A12 participates, he's reporting it to the assignor & after that it becomes a league v coach issue.

If a coach flaunts the league rules, I don't think it's the ref's responsibility to get in the middle of that (unless the ref doubles as a league officer). I believe that our league's by-laws call for a forfeit & a multiple-game suspension of both the player & the coach in eme's scenario.

[LaxRef]

You guys are far superior to me when it comes to officiating. I have enought problem concentrating on the game. I never worry about suspended players. If a coach says something to me regarding another teams player, my response is: "Coach that's a league matter." There is nothing in the book regarding NEXT game suspension.

Actually, there is in NCAA rules:

An individual participating in a fight or any other action deemed flagrant misconduct shall be charged with a three-minute non-releasable penalty, ejection from the game in which the violation occurred and suspension from the team’s next regular-season intercollegiate game, including NCAA tournament games.

Think about it: there's no way it's fair to let the coach decide which game he'd prefer to have the suspended player sit out.

I would let the player compete in the game, call the assignor and let the assignor deal with this.

I think if there's a way to get it done right, you should try to do it. For example, contacting the assignor before the game begins would be a good option if you can pull it off.

If I got a call before hand from the assignor (night before), that is a different story. I would then call both Athletic Directors (If it had not been done before.) just to make sure that BOTH coachs have been informed, and this game is the one where the suspension would be upheld.

As an assignor, I always contacted both officials on the game and both coaches (calling the ADs would be a waste of time since lacrosse isa club sport at most local schools).

[LaxRef]

I think the ref should tell both coaches that if A12 participates, he's reporting it to the assignor & after that it becomes a league v coach issue.

If a coach flaunts the league rules, I don't think it's the ref's responsibility to get in the middle of that (unless the ref doubles as a league officer). I believe that our league's by-laws call for a forfeit & a multiple-game suspension of both the player & the coach in eme's scenario.

Well, I think the official should try to get it done right for that game if possible. However, if you can't get it straightened out, then, sure, you let the kid play and let the league sort it out.

If that's what your league by-laws call for, that's great. That home coach is going to have to be pretty darn sure to let the kid play, especially when the away coach calls him on it.

[Snake~eyes]

Don't get involved! It is not your job to handle it, the coach can play whoever he wants as far as I'm concerned. Even if I ejeceted the player in the game days before I would not get involved. This is not our job, let the coach and ADs handle it.

[ploaref]

The officials in the game from which the player was previously ejected need to DO THEIR JOB and report the ejection to the assignor. There is a process for this sort of thing.

As an assignor myself, i am interesting in making sure that ALL the schools i assign for know the consequences of ejection. i make them all acknowledge it prior to the season. Here in Philly, it is a league-wide rule that ejected players and coaches sit out the next game. However, with so many new teams and programs coming into the mix each year, it is important that they ALL acknowledge the process each year. After that, it is up to us on the field to make it work...

[eme]

I like Laxref's approach a lot. I.e. try to do what you can before the game to resolve it.
If you can't, then play the game and report the details to your Assignor that evening. It is really a league issue which is why the NFHS rules don't go into details on this.

[rilax]

I have to agree with Snake~Eyes on this one. I will not get involved in it; unless the league says make sure that #XX Doe, John is not playing in the game it is not my issue. If the league does inform me I will tell the coach before the start of the game; and if the coach says that is wrong I will tell him fine if you play with him I will inform the league.

(Think this got droped when they did the roll back)

[TheKOB]

Ususally if the player was ineligble, leagues have ways of dealing with this, from fines to ineligible for post season play.