I have a scrimmage scheduled for this week, after we played in the Carolina Classic. I was told that I wasn't allowed to do this since the games count on our record. Does anyone know for sure?

According to the 2010-2011 SCHSL 4A Handbook, Page 55,
Section I General Rules, A. Each school is allowed:
16 regular season varsity matches and 2 tournaments
or
18 regular season varsity matches and 1 tournament.

Varsity teams are also allowed:
4 scrimmages and 1 jamboree.

Looks to me like you have:
16 regular season varsity matches and 1 tournament;
3 scrimmages and 1 jamboree (easily within the limit)

There is also mention of tournaments: Varsity: Maximum of 10 games can be played in a combination of the two tournaments. If you choose to play more than five games in any one tournament this will constitute having played a second tournament. But that should not be an issue – you only played 4 matches in the tourney this past weekend.

Not sure what you mean by "since the games count on our record." As far as I know, all the matches you have played thus far have counted against your record.

Alister,

I've never heard of any such restriction. Nothing I can find anywhere in the SCHSL rules to support that, and I don't think anyone would want to play in an early tournament if that was the case. Everything I read points to any date prior to March 7 being open for scrimmages, regardless of tournaments.

Tournament games only count on the record for playoff seeding as a third-tier tiebreaker...if region records are tied, then you go head-to-head; if that is tied, then to overall records excluding tournaments; only if THAT record is tied do you count total record including tournament matches, and even that is a region rule, not a state rule. Wouldn't make sense to say that you can't scrimmage after a tournament because those games "count;" they are not regular season games and you are still in scrimmage territory. Sounds like someone just doesn't want you tearing up the field.

You can scrimmage prior to your first regular season game.

Thanks for the feedback. I think my AD was thinking that the tournament games counted as regular season games since it counts on our record.

Quote:

---

Thanks for the feedback. I think my AD was thinking that the tournament games counted as regular season games since it counts on our record.

---

If your AD is still Ray Stackley, then that explains everything. It is perfectly legal to continue with scrimmages after a preseason tournament. In fact, I believe Lexington is playing West Ashley tonight and the Wildcats were in Charleston this past weekend for a tourney.