Men's Soccer
Judson Game Ruled "No Contest"
Mr. Cliff McCrath, Secretary-Rules Editor of the NCAA Men's and Women's Soccer Rules Committee has ruled on Judson Coach Steve Burke’s protest:
- The protest is DENIED.
- The game is deemed a “no contest” because it did not progress to the 70:00 minute mark.
It is regrettable when something of this nature occurs and it has to be painful for the Bethel team to see a possible convincing victory erased because of circumstances beyond his control. At the same time, the ARs acted responsibly by informing Coach Burke that they were prepared to manage the game under the dual-referee system of control which Coach Burke rejected. According to the rule of law, the ARs should have ‘ordered’ the Judson team to return to the field the failure to do would lead to the application of Rule 5.5.4.2 – and a 1-0 forfeiture for Bethel.
The situation is very unfortunate and I grieve for all parties involved. The alternative at this point is to possibly replay if the game should the two schools agree to do so.
Mark Lantz, Director of Athletics at Bethel College stated, “This was a very bad situation and it has been a very difficult, frustrating, and sad for the Bethel coaches and players. It is very hard to see the team exhibit such a dominating performance, only to have a technicality snatch victory from their grasp. We do not agree with this decision and believe that it is unfair. However, we are using this opportunity to teach our players how to respond when things do not turn out the way you think they should. It is time to move on and get better by persevering through adversity.”
