Player ejected - adult supervision

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Originally Posted by Mark Dexter

What if a player picks up 5 personal fouls and fouls out? Let's say it's towards the end of the JV game and the coach wants the player to go back to the locker room to change into his/her varsity jersey. Would you still require that player to stay on the bench?

Mark:

I am glad you brought this particular situation into the discussion. Daryl and I discussed last night, on our drive to our State Baseball and Softball Rules Meeting, similar situations with regard to the player "with" JV eligibility leaving the bench before the end of the JV game to get ready for the VAR game.

The NFHS Rules are written with the presumption that there is only one game being played. The Rules have no contingency for the situation that you described. My position throughout this thread has been based on the presumption that there is only one game being played with no game following it. The Rules also make no distinction between a non-adult bench personnel who has been disqualified because of five fouls as opposed to one who has been disqualified because of a single flagrant foul.

Every discussion in which I have taken part concerning the application of the rule has been in regard to a player that has been disqualified due to a single flagrant foul. The rule was adopted due to anecdotal evidence where players that were ejected by the game officials in one case destroyed a locker room and in another case the player did bodily harm to himself. The history of the adoption of the rule suggests that if a player who has fouled out late in the JV game, leaves the team bench to get ready for the VAR game is not the target of the rule, because logic would suggest that the player is joining his/her VAR teammates in the locker room who are already under the supervision of the Head Coach.

In the situation that you are describing would be best handled if all states adopted the MichiganHSAA rule that a player only plays in one game per day. Meaning if Teams A and B play a FR/JV/VAR tripleheader, a player can play in only one of the three games, not spread his/her five quarters over the three games like he/she can do under OhioHSAA rules.

MTD, Sr.