Soccer Coaches See Red Over Ejection Rule

It is in the rule book but most area soccer coaches aren’t aware of it. And now it’s causing them to forfeit games.

Coaches know if a player is ejected, that player is not allowed to play in the team’s next game. What they didn’t know is an ejected player isn’t allowed to be at the game.

The first wave of forfeits came in the Marmonte League after Athletic Director Terry Dobbins of Royal informed other league administrators in a meeting Jan. 12. Dobbins said none of the other athletic directors were aware of the rule.

The Thousand Oaks boys’ team was the first to forfeit a game, a 4-0 victory Jan. 5 over Simi Valley. A Thousand Oaks player received a red card in the third-place game of the Royal tournament late in December and then kept statistics, out of uniform, 15 days later against Simi Valley.

“I was unaware of [the rule],” Coach Mark Tietjen of Thousand Oaks said. “I was ignorant of the rule.”

Ejections, or red cards, are a common occurrence in high school soccer. It’s rare to find a team without players who have been ejected.

The subsequent forfeits could change league races.

“This is not a brand new rule,” said Karen Hellyer, Southern Section assistant commissioner. “We put the rule into effect years ago. It’s highlighted in the preview. I highlighted it in the soccer preview.”

Hellyer said it is each school’s responsibility to report violations and the section will strictly enforce all cases.

The California Interscholastic Federation rules book states any player ejected from a game is not allowed to participate in the remainder of that game and the next game. It adds: “Being in attendance at or playing in the contest after being ejected from a previous contest will result in the forfeiture of the contest.”

The Newbury Park boys’ team forfeited a 3-3 tie with Thousand Oaks last week and Marmonte League coaches are pressuring the Moorpark boys’ team to forfeit four games. Simi Valley has not decided if whether it will forfeit a tie with Royal on Friday because the team is arguing the ejected player was only there for the first 10 minutes.

It’s a domino effect that is going to spread across the region as coaches become aware of the rule.

Some coaches are livid over the rule, which they insist they have never been informed of and is not clearly stated.

“It’s just typical of high school athletics,” said boys’ Coach Kevin Corley of Royal, who has been at the school 17 years and had never heard of the rule. “It’s not right. It’s a dumb rule and a bad rule. We have never discussed it. Nobody knew.

“What happens if we are at a tournament and a kid gets a red card in a morning game and we have an afternoon game? I can’t tell the kid he can’t come to the game. I’m liable for that kid. I’m legally responsible for that kid.”

Buena (22-0) is the only undefeated girls’ team in the region, but might have to forfeit a 4-2 victory over Jurupa Valley in the championship game of the Simi Valley tournament because one of its players was ejected in a semifinal game against Simi Valley and was present at the final.

“The rule is unclear,” Coach Trish Butterbaugh of Buena said. “I’m in shock right now. I’m not going to record a loss. [The Southern Section] is going to have to notify me that it is a loss. I thought I was following the rules. This rule is ridiculous.”

Of more than 20 coaches polled, only one knew of the rule.

“I’ve known of this rule for 10 years,” said Coach Bud Dain of Crescenta Valley. “Maybe they’ve never enforced it but it’s been there.”