SC Soccer Forums SCSoccer.com Forums Boys Varsity Soccer Bluffton HS - Eligible for Playoffs?

How about both Dutch Fork girls who were banned from the postseason for having an illegal practice. Or the Dutch Fork boys who had to have their coach resign because of three people kicking the ball around? Like everyone else said, no disrespect to you or your players, but this is easssssily one of the most blatant displays of hypocrisy I have ever seen not only in HS soccer, but probably top 5 in my entire life. Fighting and displaying terrible sportsmanship and a complete lack of class is a less punishable offense than four kids juggling on a practice field or a team starting practice three days early? Great example the state is setting for the youth. Who is this moron in change? He should should be beat up (yes the irony is on purpose) and then fired.

Curious, because I don't remember...was Bluffton deemed ineligible for playoffs LAST year?

Never mind...I see in the records that they went.

From the handy-dandy SCHSL Handbook:

C. In case of unsportsmanlike conduct on the part of the coaches, school officials, players,
students or spectators of a school, the school will be subject to discipline by the
Commissioner consisting of a warning or reprimand, probation not to exceed a year and/or a
fine not to exceed $300.00.
D. In cases of more serious unsportsmanlike actions, the Executive Committee may discipline
the school by a fine not to exceed $2,500.00 and/or suspension from the League not to
exceed one year.
Schools who violate any of the preceding sections of this article may be subject to a
fine of not less than $25.00 and not more than $2,500.00 and/or suspension for not
more than one calendar year . The League's Statement of Policy concerning
unsportsmanlike conduct is on page A-25.

PROBATION: A team may compete in regularly scheduled contests but may not play in
a jamboree, an invitational event or for a region or state championship.

So...by the letter of the law, the probation is for a calendar year, not a season, so after the expiration date a team is eligible to compete in any contest, including playoffs. BUT...during that time they cannot compete for a region championship, which would be taking place during the regular season within the time period of the probation, so...seeding? Anybody's guess is as good as mine.

So moral of the story is try and get in a fight early in the playoffs and hope that the school and soccer calendar for the next year is pushed back a little bit? I'll make sure and remember that little loophole in the system.

This is horse crap!! Its ok to assult people.

Yep, that does seem to be the loophole, the way the rule is written...not making a judgment call on right or wrong, but that's the letter of the law. Moving the season back this year did work in Bluffton's favor by pushing playoffs past the calendar year expiration.

I will say this...if the player(s) who committed the offense are no longer a part of the team, and the players currently benefitting from the loophole aren't the ones who deserved to be sanctioned in the first place, then maybe this is an example of the universe balancing itself so as not to punish the wrong people.

So basically we waitin' on Roger and Jerome to tell us where they finish in the region? This whole thing doesn't seem right in relation to other punishments that have been handed down for seemingly lesser offenses - but somehow I'm not surprised. SCHSL seems to be operated like the fox guarding the hen house.

logically they will either get the 1 or 4 seed.