ACC COVID-19 forfeit rule rescinded following athletic directors' vote

As long as one coach and seven players are available for men's and women's basketball, the game must be played on the scheduled date.
As long as one coach and seven players are available for men's and women's basketball, the game must be played on the scheduled date.

The athletic directors of all ACC schools have voted to rescind the conference's forfeit rule, which stated that if a team is unable to play a conference game on its scheduled date due to COVID-19, the team forfeits the game and is assessed a loss, per a Wednesday release from the ACC

The rule is part of the ACC’s 2021-22 COVID-19 Game Rescheduling Policy, which was announced Aug. 19 after being approved by the conference's athletic directors. 

The forfeit rule most recently led to Boston College men's basketball receiving a loss after a COVID-19 outbreak on the team led to the Eagles being forced to cancel their Wednesday game against Wake Forest. 

Now, with the rule being rescinded, games that are able to be rescheduled will be rescheduled, and games that cannot be rescheduled will be ruled a no contest with no wins or losses assessed. The rule reversal applies to all ACC sports and is effective immediately. It is also retroactively applied to any winter season games affected by the original rule.

For men's and women's basketball, the conference will move to a "seven-and-one" rule. This rule states that if a team has at least seven players and one coach available, it will have to play the game on the scheduled date with the players at hand. 

If a basketball team elects to still miss the game with that amount of players and coaches available, the game will be ruled a forfeit. If that amount of players and coaches aren't available, the game is ruled a no contest. 

This is a developing story and will be updated with more information as it becomes available. 


Sasha Richie profile
Sasha Richie | Sports Managing Editor

Sasha Richie is a Trinity senior and a sports managing editor of The Chronicle's 118th volume.

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