Game forfeiture due to unforeseen circumstances
 

How would you &/or your association &/or local league handle a team forfeiting a game due to:

1. Death of a teammate
2. Other unforeseen circumstance

How would it be handled if the game being forfeit was postseason tournament play?

It would be handled above my pay grade, thankfully, and the only way I would find out is by either reading the paper or getting assigned to the continuation of the game, if applicable.

The officials association would usually:
1) inform the officials assigned of the cancellation.
2) determine if compensation was warranted if insufficient notice of cancellation was involved.

As an official...I would handle it the way I was told to handle it.

i.e. cancellation, postponement of assignment, etc.

Sadly, I was involved in something like this several years ago...I was assigned to a post season game about 100 miles away. (Wentachee, WA)

On the way to the district game, my partner for the game and I, came upon a head-on collision. We were the first on the scene...as dust and particles were still flying as we rounded the highway's corner.

Without getting to graphic...there were two deaths at this scene. One of two in the Van that crossed the center line...and one of three in the car that was driving to said district game.

The accident blocked the road...and traffic was backed up considerably.

The grandfather, driving the car to the game to see his grandson play, was killed.

The rooter bus, that was going to the game, was behind us. The player's bus was ahead of us...and already at the site.

When everything was cleared...we made it to the game site.

Upon arriving...we were told the game would be cancelled and re-played at a later date.

Very sad indeed.

For example: Monday, before the start of the tournament...a player is killed in an auto accident, the coach tells local media that they may not play their upcoming game on that Saturday.



The reason why I am asking is cause that was a possibility of happening here for the local JUCO tournament. I was curious as to how it could be handled depending on when the notice of forfeiture happened.

Thankfully I just heard that the team is not forfeiting & will be playing in the honor of the player lost.

From an officiating standpoint, a canceled/postponed game is a canceled/postponed game, no matter what the circumstances are (weather, lack of players for one team or the other, scheduling SNAFU, death/accident of some team member, etc).

Around here, as long as the game management or your assigner informs you of the cancellation before you arrive at the game site, you don't get paid. If the cancellation happens after you arrive, you get paid. However, you should check your local listings.

This is the same process around my neck of the woods as well.