[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

NevadaRef:

My original post was written very quickly because I had to get the concession stand opened at the football stadium for Start H.S.'s annual Powder Puff football game. I agree with Camron on this issue. When the NCAA and then the NFHS adopted this rule, the word from both rules committees was that if the conduct, in the judgemet of the official met the qualifications of the definition of fighting then it was a technical foul. That is why the intepretation in the Casebook Play you reference troubles me. But as I said before, I think that rule(s) is poorly written in both codes.

The fighting rule was first adopted by the NCAA in response the the conduct of the players of certain men's teams in the Big East back in the mid-90's (I am not going to climb up in the attic to look up the exact year the rule went into effect.). The NCAA fighting rule penalties were not just for the game but it the penalties extend beyond the game in which the player was charged with a fighting foul. The NFHS fighting rule penalties only apply to the game in which the fighting foul occurs.

It is still my personal opinion that the fighting foul rules in both codes are both poorly written and not needed. The rules are there to take care of flagrant conduct by players, substitutes, and coaches.

MTD, Sr.