Question about player and 4 quarters per night...
 

If the rule is a player may participate in four quarters total per night, regardless of level (varsity, jv, etc.), can he/she participate in an overtime should the game go into OT? I'm assuming that if the player had already burned their four quarters prior to the fourth quarter or OT of a varsity contest, this would not be allowed?! If however, the player was a participant in the fourth quarter, would you treat the OT's like an extension of the fourth quarter and would the player be allowed to participate? I know this is really not a decision that officials are responsible for making, but I was asked this question by one of our coaches at the high school I teach at, so I'm asking you guys, the experts. Thanks.

Pirate

We have no idea about whatever regulations certain states or areas place upon their local players.
However, I would think that it would be downright silly to prevent anyone from participating in an extra period because of such a rule.

That's a decision for your state association. I would guess, however, that since the rule book declares that all OTs are an extension of the 4th quarter, the participation rules would consider it the same.

It's not our responsibility to enforce the quarter rule, but we still must know about it enough to explain it.

You're right that OT is an extension of the 4th quarter. For small schools, I often see the V coach keep a quarter for a JV player until the 4th quarter in case other players foul out or the game goes to OT.

Occasionally, I'll have an assistant coach ask prior to the start of OT if the JV player can play in OT. I better be able to give him the correct answer.

Really? I've never been asked this question, and if I was, I would defer. It is not our responsibility in any way. No way I'm going to tell a coach who can and can't play based on eligibility; if I give the wrong advice, I'll cost him a forfeit.

It is the coach's responsibility to know these rules inside out.

I agree. In my area conferences may have rules that are more strict than the State Association. These same conferences have different rules for JH and MS games. There is no way that I would even try to keep them all straight.

Amen to that. The first thing we ask when we get to a MS/JHS game is: "do you have any special rules we need to be aware of - or are we just doing NFHS with state adaptations?"

Is that your association's policy? Is it posted on the state website?

There's knowing the rule. And there's probing the officials to see what you can get away with. Very different animals. ;)

This is not in the rulebook, this must be a state or local rule you are thinking of. I've done JV games where a player would play all 4 quarters, and then in the Varsity game they would play at least 2 quarters.

The only way I could answer this for you is to say that any over time periods are an extension of the 4th quarter. If it were me, that player would be allowed to play.

Official policy---no. But it's a credibility factor. My response may simply be "OT is an extension of the 4th quarter."

I'll always preface a question about quarters with "it's not my jurisdiction but my understanding is...."

I don't want to be the jerk who is unhelpful. Yes, coaches should know the rules, but they expect that I know the rules as well.

Same for players who have been tossed from a game. It's not my place to tell a coach a player can or cannot play the next game. (State Association requires 1 game suspension.) I'll state that I'm not in a position to make the determination for the coach, but the general principle is to sit a game. I encourage the coach to talk with his her AD and the state association to be sure.

Had a similar situation several years ago. Upon asking the state clinician, he said that is out of the officials jurisdiction as we do not rule on eligibility issues. If the opposing coach wants to play a player the entire junior varsity and varsity, that is up to them. The official has no responsibility here. However it would be the opposing teams responsibility to report to the state and file a complaint.
Sorry I have no rulebook citation for this.

Just so we're clear, I'm talking about a JV player who played in the 4th quarter (which means he's a Varsity player too).

In Kansas several years ago, we were instructed not to tell coaches the eligibility rules. We weren't expected to track eligibility, and a player who had used all available quarters of play could still play in the game - it just counted as an additional game played and would hinder his ability to play in another game that season.

As officials, having any sort of discussion - especially one where "well, I'm not sure but I think he's okay to play" is bad news. If we're wrong, then we've potentially contributed to costing a player a game of eligibility. The coach will certainly use the "but the official told me it was okay" excuse to his admin/the state. And then the official will be getting a call about "why did you do that?"

We were instructed to say, when asked, something like, "Coach, we aren't given instruction in the rules on eligibility, and we don't enforce those rules, either. You'll have to ask your AD. Sorry we can't help."

Can you imagine the chaos if the OT were counted as a separate quarter? Both teams may have to change their entire line up, putting in scrubs to finish the game because the starters have already played 4 quarters. The only answer that makes any sense (at least in my feeble mind) is that OT is an extension of the fourth quarter and the same "eligibility" that existed to start the fourth quarter still applies.