Southern Section Council Could Reduce Ineligible Player Penalty

The Southern Section Council will consider easing the penalty against a team forced to forfeit games for use of an ineligible player.

Under a proposal made Thursday at the council meeting, only one game would be forfeited if a player lost eligibility because paperwork had not been filed properly by school administrators. Now, whatever the reason a player is found to be ineligible, the team must forfeit all victories in which the player participated.

The proposed change will be voted on April 29.

Laguna Hills Principal Wayne Mickaelian argued strongly to change the current rule.

The Laguna Hills football team was 5-3, 3-0 in the Pacific Coast League last season when it was discovered school administrators had not filed the proper paperwork on a player who had transferred to the school. The player was ruled ineligible, so the Hawks had to forfeit their five victories and their chance at the playoffs and league title.

“It can happen to anybody,” Mickaelian said. “When we found out, all we needed to do was fill out a form and submit it [to the section]. . . . I know it sounds simple, but it wasn’t. If we had had this rule, it would have been a much easier pill to swallow.”