Officials Mistake

[chapmaja]

Ok, here is one for people.

Conference championship meet. Conference rules clearly state that no substitutions shall be allowed at the meet, only scratches.

Women's 800 run, two runners from Team A don't show. The assistant coach of Team A comes over with two different runners, and says these runners will run in place of the other two runners.

The clerk allows this substitution and the two runners in question place 5th and 6th, scoring 3 points for the team. Team A wins the meet by 1 point. The meet referee, upon reviewing results with the FAT operator notices the change.

What should happen in this situation. Does the error by the clerk allow these runners to be legally entered, or at they considered illegal participants in the event, and thus disqualified from the event. To my knowledge Team B who finished second, never was aware of the substitution and never protested.