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CIF allows for three-game suspensions of ejected players

The CIF Board of Managers created a three-game suspension option for ejected players, coaches, or parents.

The June 5 vote adds the three-game suspension to the six-game and one-game suspensions. Because football teams play once a week and no more than ten regular-season games, the six-game gross unsportsmanlike conduct suspension is for three games in football; no intermediate penalty for football was added. The CIF makes the determination of a suspension length based on the official’s report submitted to the section office.

The CIF has two classes of ejections. A gross unsportsmanlike conduct ejection covers acts such as physical violence, threats, and ethnic or other racial slurs or gender slurs towards a contest official. A person ejected for gross unsportsmanlike conduct must also miss the next six games (three for football) and must meet with a CIF official prior to resuming participation (a suspended athlete may practice with his or her team and may attend contests if not in game uniform). All other ejections result in one-game suspensions.

A one-game suspension may not be appealed, but a six-game suspension can be appealed. “This will allow us to reduce a six to a three,” said CIF commissioner Jerry Schniepp.

The changes add language that a school principal or other school designee may appeal the gross unsportsmanlike suspension on the grounds that the student was not ejected due to flagrant misconduct or other unsportsmanlike behavior or on the grounds that the student or parent was ejected due to an identification error. The amendments also codify that a school may enforce a stricter penalty than the CIF.

During the 2012-13 season 227 San Diego Section players, seven parents, and five coaches were ejected. The 239 ejections included 72 gross unsportsmanlike conduct suspensions. Two yellow card warnings in soccer lead to an automatic red card ejection; soccer rules preventing a player who receives a red card from participating in the following game preceded the CIF ejection policy. A basketball or water polo player who is removed from the game after reaching a foul threshold may play in the next game both under sport rules and under CIF policy.

 

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