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What if coach just sends that player to the locker room when you tell him she has to play? She is no longer available to play. What can you do then?
I can't see you forcing this player into the game in this situation. The coach wanted and got the two quarters from her that he could have her play and still leave her available for the varsity game. He kept her on the bench to support her teammates and watch the end of the game but never intended to play her. I think she should be allowed to sit with her team even if she will not be playing any more.
The NF rule book is not geared to handle these multiple game, multiple team, total quarters of play eligibility issues because you don't have to deal with them as referees in a single game. And NF does not impose these total quarters of play limits, states do. This causes problems when reconciling a state eligibility provision with the NF rulebook that does not recognize these provisions. Coaches have to deal with balancing both sets of rules, and this coach handled it the way I would. I wouldn't tell my player to go hide or that she couldn't stay with the team in case the ref would force her to play.
Most importantly, by making this girl play you are punishing a varsity player for a JV coach's decision to allow her to stay with her team after her available quarters play had ended. Do you really think that is in the spirit of the NFHS rules? I think your reading of the rule book needs to be tempered with some perspective of what is happening here, and the fact that the rulebook does not account for state policies of this nature.
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