Help with Ruling on Fight/Forfeit

[BoomerSooner]

Originally Posted by Raymond

This is why the officials should not rule a forfeit. They should suspend the game and let the powers that be determine the course of action from there.

I consulted the only rulebook I have handy from a couple of years ago, so correct me if anything has been updated, but I have a couple of additional notes:

Suspending the Game:
Rule 5.4.3 allows for the game to be "interrupted because of events beyond the control of the responsible administrative authorities". This is the only reference to interrupting/suspending the game that I could find, but I don't believe this would be supported by rule as disqualifying all of the involved players is within the control of the officials. In this case, the officials DQ'd all of the players which results in a forfeit under Rule 3.1.1.

Rule 2.2.4: The note to this allows the state association to intercede if a game is ended prior to regulation. This could give authority to the state association to make a ruling in this case, unless you consider the game ending due to the DQ's as ending by regulation (that regulation being Rule 3.1.1). If you make the argument that the game didn't end by regulation, then a ruling from the state would be supported, except that...

Rule 2.6 provides no official has the authority to set aside or question the decisions made by the other officials. I know I'm broadly applying the term official in this case to include someone from the state association, but I return to my previous point of setting precedent of overturning officials calls. In this case, the call to DQ all of the players was within the officials' jurisdiction and authority. It sounds like the video shows that was the wrong call, but since when do we overturn calls based on video reviewed well after the fact? IMO, the only way to rule anything other than a double forfeit is to overturn the officials' call on the court.