Forfeits

[IGo42]

What's the reason for so many forfeits the last 4-5 years? It started before covid, but since then it's only gotten worse. I think there should be more of a penalty for forfeiting to an opponent (although not exactly sure what that should be). The school I follow lost a game this year because their opponent forfeited the remainder of their varsity season. Only positive was it wasn't a home game...

Thoughts?

 

[PNation]

There are many programs who have not been successful that struggle to maintain numbers, simply put if you are a kid that is on the fence about going out or not, and the football program hasn't been successful, and maybe you don't have much of a connection to a coach you aren't going to go out. Then as the season goes along there are going to be injuries on all football teams, you eventually get to the point where you don't have enough kids to safely play a game.

 

[ISUChip]

At some places, there aren't enough kids going out to have a big margin for error if any quit or get hurt.

 

[Iron Doc]

This is a TOUGH question. No real good answer.

 

[MepoDawg#]

If a teams forfeits and it’s the other teams home game then they have to play away the following year if it’s in the 2-year cycle. If they forfeit a district game then they are not eligible for the post season. A forfeit also counts as +17 for the opponent. Not sure what else you could do.

Take Louisa-Muscatine for example. They forfeited the last 3 weeks of the season including @ Wilton. They will have to play @ Wilton next year to make up for Wilton losing a home game this year. Their other 2 forfeits were their own home games.

 

[rc1963]

What's the reason for so many forfeits the last 4-5 years? It started before covid, but since then it's only gotten worse. I think there should be more of a penalty for forfeiting to an opponent (although not exactly sure what that should be). The school I follow lost a game this year because their opponent forfeited the remainder of their varsity season. Only positive was it wasn't a home game...

Thoughts?

I'm not sure what the penalty could/should be....On the surface that seems like kicking a program when they're down.

Stepping outside the varsity "roles" and rules a little, and being creative may be a better way. L & M forfeited to Regina a couple weeks back, and the coaches got together and salvaged having a "Reserve/JV game" It didn't count towards any records or stats, it gave kids, who may not otherwise get a chance to play, some additional minutes and they got to preserve having a home game, for the parents, the concessions revenue, the band and cheerleaders and Jr activities they had at halftime etc. So, it was a good way to salvage something. I think something like that is better than a penalty. But I also agree that schools routinely forfeiting does impact their opponents.

The thing that gets me, is that schools in this position, know they are in this position before the start of the season. Yet everyone carries on, as if they are going to have a normal season. The state needs to help facilitate some kind of alternate schedule, to maybe group troubled programs together.

 

[MepoDawg#]

I'm not sure what the penalty could/should be....On the surface that seems like kicking a program when they're down.

Stepping outside the varsity "roles" and rules a little, and being creative may be a better way. L & M forfeited to Regina a couple weeks back, and the coaches got together and salvaged having a "Reserve/JV game" It didn't count towards any records or stats, it gave kids, who may not otherwise get a chance to play, some additional minutes and they got to preserve having a home game, for the parents, the concessions revenue, the band and cheerleaders and Jr activities they had at halftime etc. So, it was a good way to salvage something. I think something like that is better than a penalty. But I also agree that schools routinely forfeiting does impact their opponents.

The thing that gets me, is that schools in this position, know they are in this position before the start of the season. Yet everyone carries on, as if they are going to have a normal season. The state needs to help facilitate some kind of alternate schedule, to maybe group troubled programs together.

Mepo is doing the same tonight vs L&M as it is their senior night. It’s a JV hybrid game, not sure what exactly that means, but I know Mepo is playing JV only with varsity players there in street clothes watching. L&M could play everyone including juniors/seniors I guess, haven’t heard one way or the other, but I don’t think anyone would frown upon them doing that. It’s been a tough year for them, would be good for them to get some time in.

 

[IGo42]

It was unheard of 20 years ago to have a forfeit. Are administrations just softer and allowing their team to forfeit where 20 years ago they'd say "no, you're playing as long as you have 11 bodies"?

It seems like in NE Iowa it started with Starmont about 4 years ago, if I recall correctly they had a couple seasons in a row that they never completed their varsity schedule, now it's happening more every year statewide.

 

[ISUChip]

The forfeits have been largely bundled into a few teams who either start a season and can't finish, or have some type of midseason malady that causes them to miss back-to-back games. And it's still a really small number.

Not counting post-event forfeits (e.g., ineligible players):
2019 - 4 (2 by Siouxland Christian)
2018 - 10 (5 by Eagle Grove, 5 by Starmont)
2017 - 10 (2 by North Butler, 2 by Starmont, 2 by Central Elkader)
2016 - 13 (6 by Danville, 2 by Griswold, 2 by Mormon Trail)

 

[PNation]

The other thing that sometimes isn't mentioned is that there are small schools that have small classes or classes with very few boys. My uncle taught at a schools with an enrollment 10-12 of around 180 so assume around 60 a class, but they had back to back classes around 10 years ago where it was about 80% girls. Things do usually even out, but not always.

 

[ISUChip]

What's the better option, though? Give it a go for as many games as you can, or just bag the whole season ahead of time? The kids who show up do so because they want to play.

I think there's also an unspoken pride element of "we can't lose our town/school identity", which prevents some schools from getting into sharing agreements. On the flip side, there may also be schools that don't want to take on a sharing agreement for fear of getting bumped up a class.

 

[Pinehawk]

We’ve got 1A and 2A teams forfeiting now. 5A too. It’s not that they don’t have the kids. They are choosing not to play.
I watched that Regina vs L-M forfeit scrimmage and it was pretty frustrating they couldn’t play a game, but then they run a good sized marching band out at halftime. Had a flag team too.

 

[Reasoned]

My uncle taught at a schools with an enrollment 10-12 of around 180 so assume around 60 a class, but they had back to back classes around 10 years ago where it was about 80% girls.

Not good for FB but those boys had to like their odds off the field.

 

[paednoch23]

It was unheard of 20 years ago to have a forfeit. Are administrations just softer and allowing their team to forfeit where 20 years ago they'd say "no, you're playing as long as you have 11 bodies"?

It seems like in NE Iowa it started with Starmont about 4 years ago, if I recall correctly they had a couple seasons in a row that they never completed their varsity schedule, now it's happening more every year statewide.

Some teams, even some 3A teams in the SE part of our state have very very low numbers. I know there are a few smal schools that have 12-13 kids suited. That is 1 or 2 kids on the sidelines.