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About > Rules and Regulations > Article 5 Protests

Article 5: PROTESTS

Section 1. PROCEDURE

  1. A school filing a protest in accordance with RIIL/NFHS sport rules shall make out the protest in triplicate. One copy will go to the Executive Director/Assistant Executive Director; the second through the Executive Director to the school or schools protested against, and the third copy is to be retained by the protesting school. The protest must be signed by the Principal or Acting Principal and received by the Executive Director no later than forty-eight (48) hours after the completion of the game or contest. The protest must be accompanied by a fee of $50.00 which is to be returned to the school in the event the decision is in favor of the protesting school,but forfeited to the RIIL Treasury in case of an adverse decision. This protest shall include all facts relevant to the protested situation. The procedure for handling protests is:
    1. If any of the procedures, deadlines, etc. as set down in the rule for filing a protest are not strictly adhered to, the protest shall be immediately disallowed and the two schools in contention so notified. The Executive Director/Assistant Executive Director shall weigh this protest procedure and make the determination whether the protest shall be heard or terminated at this stage.
    2. If the Executive Director/Assistant Executive Director concludes that the conditions for filing a protest have been fulfilled; s/he will report this fact to the Chair. A copy of the protest will also be forwarded to the Principal of the opposing school within 24 hours of its receipt.
    3. The Chair or the Executive Director/Assistant Executive Director shall appoint a Protest Appeal Committee of three ( members of the Principals’ Committee on Athletics to hold a formal hearing on the appeal. This hearing shall take place within five (5) working days of receipt of the official protest.
      1. Each school may be represented by the Principal, Athletic Director, coach and any other person(s) approved by the Chair, prior to the day of the hearing.
      2. The game officials may be consulted by the Protest Appeal Committee and may be required to be present at the hearing.
      3. The Protest Appeal Committee shall determine the admissibility of evidence.
      4. The Protest Appeal Committee in executive session shall, after considering all the evidence, vote to uphold or disallow the protest. A majority vote shall suffice and be final.

Section 2. TIMELINESS AND BURDEN OF PROOF

  1. For purposes of this Article, time is of the essence, and no waivers shall be granted. The burden of proof as to being within the stipulated time frames rests exclusively on the protesting school.

Section 3. NOTIFICATION OF OFFICIALS

  1. The Committee will refuse to accept a protest if the protesting team fails to notify the officials of the game at the time of the incident or the first opportunity to do so that the game is being finished under protest. In non‑officiated sports, the opposing coach must be notified of the protest at the first opportunity to do so.

Section 4. PROTEST SIGNIFICANCE

  1. The Committee will entertain no protest where the protested call did not have a significant effect on the outcome of the contest nor will the Committee accept protests involving judgment calls made by officials. The Executive Committee of the sport involved will make this determination.

Section 5. CHAMPIONSHIP COMPETITION

  1. In Championship Tournament Competition, the Executive Committee of the sport by a unanimous vote will make the final determination of a protest, the provisions of this Article notwithstanding.