Malicious Contact Rule Help

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by rei

You would think all of those english majors at NFHS rules committee would have worded it that way eh?

Is this wording of which blindofficial speaks in the 2007 book? I don't have any book that says this.

Anyway, they could have just punctuated in correctly, and worded it this way:

"If on offense, the player is ejected, and declared out unless he has already scored." Just place the comma where it belongs.

In my 2005 rule book, it says under PENALTY for 3-3-1n, "the ejected player is declared out, unless he has already scored." This makes sense also.

[greymule]

"If on offense, the player is ejected, and declared out unless he has already scored." Just place the comma where it belongs.

True. You could insert that comma in hopes of preventing "mistaken junction," but don't count on readers to pick up on the subtlety. (Instructions that use this device invariably cause confusion among some readers. It's a no-no in methods and procedures.) Better would be "the player is ejected, and he is declared out unless he has already scored."

Your last example, of course, is fine: "the ejected player is declared out, unless he has already scored." Interesting that this one is correct with or without the comma, although the emphasis changes slightly.