Changing numbers
 

High School NF Rules. In first half #40 vistor gets USC pentalty. After half time head coach from home teams tells back judge that # 40 changed numbers durning halftime and is now #35. 4th quarter # 35 gets USC. How would you deal with this. The crew had no way of knowing that the number was changed. There was no #40 for the vistors the second half. The coach denied the change which is not surprising. If a coach will change the players jersey number at half time he sure would not tell the truth.

Canadian Ruling
 

CANADIAN RULING:

We do not have a 2-USCs-and-you're-gone, so playing under a different jersey number prior to being ejected is legal. If a player has been ejected and plays under a different jersey number, the rule to govern this is the elastic power rule, since our book doesn't specifically mention what to do.

Naturally, I would send the ejected player off and prevent him from playing again. As for the coach, the most common options would likely be a non-yardage OC ejection, or nothing.

Ask the coach for a name.

These 2 pieces of your story don't sit well together. :confused:

I would have a hard time ejecting #35 without clear knowledge that the jersey had been switched. The opposition coach is not a credible source. Not that I don't believe that a coach would do this intentionally. As a referee, I would write up a game report for my association with the facts as we know them. The association would send it to the state office and they can discuss with the coach his actions.

The BJ should have informed the R what he was told and the R should then have confirmed the information with the team that switched jerseys.