WRENTHAM - The King Philip softball team has forfeited six wins from this season due to violating a rule regarding a coach communicating with a player from the bench or dugout during play.
Our partners at The Sun Chronicle reported the violations occurred multiple times in May with the games forfeited including a 3-2 win over Archbishop Williams on May 3, a 10-0 win over Mansfield on May 6, a 14-0 win over Franklin on May 9, a 5-0 win over Attleboro on May 10, a 2-1 win over Central Catholic on May 11 and a 14-0 win over Milford on May 13.
The forfeitures leave King Philip with a 12-9 record entering play this weekend.
In a release from the Massachusetts Interscholatic Athletic Assocation on Thursday, the MIAA said that upon investigation, King Philip used electronic devices to transmit information to the live field of play during games multiple times.
The device used was a communicator from coach to player, specifically head coach to catcher, to relay a pitch call.
The device was a hand-held walkie-talkie, which transmitted into the helmet of the catcher from the dugout.
National Federation of High School Rule 1-8-6 states that “Non-traditional playing equipment must be reviewed by the NFHS Softball Rules Committee before it will be permitted to be used.”
The MIAA’s statement continued, “In addition, NFHS rule 1-8-6 also states: 'During the game, the use of electronic devices by team personnel to transmit of record information pertaining to their players of team’s performance shall be permitted for coaching purposes within the team’s dugout/bench area only, provided the point of origin of the electronic communication is outside of the field of play. NFHS Softball did NOT approve the use of the device.'”
The MIAA follows the policies of NFHS Softball.
King Philip head coach Kate Fallon-Comeau did not respond to a request for comment from The Sun Chronicle’s Tyler Hetu.
King Philip is not alone, Hanover High School is also currently subject to three forfeits for a similar rules violation.
