Joe Trost – Columnist
It was an alert that came into Carmel High School on Sept. 29. The IHSA was notifying the school that it had 22 yellow cards for its boys soccer team.
Despite playing three games between Sept. 30 to Oct. 9 and not receiving a single yellow card on the field, the IHSA made another alert to Carmel on Oct. 10.
This time, the IHSA told the school it now had 25 yellow cards, which would result in a postseason death sentence for players, their families, school and community.
For weeks, the alarm has been sounding trying to help kids who were getting hammered by adults who couldn’t get their acts together.
And in the end, it was easy as 1, 2, 3 for adults pointing at one another as innocent kids stood around just wanting to play a game with their friends and families.
Here’s a look at the full adult-crisis timeline, which shows inequity, segregation, discrimination, a flawed system and cherry-picking rules to enforce.
Sept. 13: My first note regarding the IHSA yellow card “foul” rule posts on X. The original post to see is “quoted” on this X post.
Sept. 14: My second note posts pointing out how schools are already cancelling games at literally the midway point of the season. What other high school sport does this happen in, where schools are cancelling games at the midway point of the season? There is a crisis – soccer assigning folks are saying – with a shortage of officials, a number of games move from 3 to 2 or 1 official per game and many officials now on varsity games in the middle are lacking experience to know the difference between a “foul” vs a yellow card.
Sept. 25: My third note posts. Quote: “It’s getting worse @IHSA_IL. You’re hurting kids. #IHSA”
Sept. 26: Carmel traveled to Libertyville and won 2-1, running its unbeaten streak to five. Big games during that unbeaten stretch also included matches against Marist, Saint Viator, Waukegan and Zion. Carmel has proven to be a solid team with good coaching.
Sept. 29: IHSA alerts Carmel that it has 22 yellow cards. This alert came 60 hours after its last game against Libertyville, meaning yellow card data is up-to-date because everything must be turned in by officials within 48 hours of match completion. It is noted on the IHSA yellow-card sheet.
Sept. 30: Carmel beats Joliet Catholic and has now outscored its last six opponents 21-7. They then play Notre Dame (Oct. 4) and St. Patrick (Oct. 7).
Oct. 8: The number of additional yellow cards Carmel received in those three games – JCA, Notre Dame and St. Patrick – since the IHSA alert: Zero (0) yellow cards.
Oct. 10: IHSA alerts Carmel that it now has 25 yellow cards. Somehow between the IHSA alert on Sept. 29 to the IHSA alert on Oct. 10, Carmel received three (3) additional yellow cards off the field despite not receiving a single one on the field. That night, Carmel sends its JV team to play Lake Zurich and loses 9-0.
Oct. 11: Carmel appeals the IHSA decision to the IHSA board – noting clerical and reporting errors – but the check-the-box board upholds Beth Sauser’s – not Craig Anderson’s – ban of the Carmel’s boys soccer team from the statewide tournament for 25 yellow card “fouls.” Later that day, Carmel falls to Benet 2-0.
Oct. 13: My latest note reminding everyone about what Judge Neil Cohen said regarding the IHSA vs kids in Nov. 2019: He was “tired of adults robbing kids of their childhood” and that the IHSA “cherry picks.” He noted football teams had obtained an exception from the IHSA to compete its postseason tournament and said it was unfair that the same exception did not apply to other sports.
Oct. 15: TV and radio coverage starts to run about the Carmel boys soccer team, noting how no other IHSA sport or other state like Indiana, Michigan, Iowa, etc. have a regular-season in-game foul/penalty rule that turns into double jeopardy to keep kids, families, schools and communities out of a statewide tournament.
IHSA assistant executive director Matt Troha avoids the media, because he knows the IHSA can’t control its brand and message on TV like it can with local prep reporters. You stick to stakeholders when the system is flawed and lay low.
Oct. 16: My latest note posts reminding that in Oct. 2019, the IHSA waived a rule that requires football teams to play eight games to be eligible for the playoffs. The decision meant highly-ranked Simeon Career Academy and two other teams – Phoenix Military Academy and Chicago Military-Bronzeville – could take part in the association’s second largest-revenue tournament.
Oct. 17: My latest note posts confirming that back in the fall of 2014 – the first year the asinine yellow-card rule was in place – Taft had 25 yellow cards. Taft self reported to the IHSA – but heard nothing back – so they took part in the statewide tournament. Beth Sauser oversaw boys soccer then, as she continues to do now.
That same day, Brad Guzan – a former IHSA and NCAA star player, 9 years in the Premier League, USMNT, 2 World Cups and 11 years in MLS – says: “I keep hoping the IHSA will reverse its decision and let (Carmel) play in the state tournament. I couldn’t imagine having my high school career end on something like this. Yellow cards are a part of soccer, just like other fouls and penalties are a part of those sports. At the high school level, you have officials of all different experience levels and to have such a broad brush rule and you are out of the state tournament is wrong.”
Oct. 18: My latest note posts confirming the IHSA was allowing Peotone to continue in the statewide tournament in 2023 despite having an ineligible player, while banning Brother Rice previously for the exact same rule.
IHSA assistant executive director Matt Troha provides statement for paper, because he knows IHSA can control its brand and message with local prep reporters.
At 4:30 pm, Carmel was to play Lake Forest in the statewide regional semifinals.
Coming Sunday: As easy as 1, 2, 3.
Bio on columnist: Joe Trost was an award-winning writer for – STAR Newspapers, Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago Tribune and ESPN.com. He has since created and managed some of the largest communication programs in the U.S. and advocates for student athletes – on and off the field. Locally, he is a three-time statewide IHSSCA Media Person of the Year; founder of the largest high school sports series in the U.S.; and board member for Buddy’s HELPERS, which engages and educates student athletes about Making A Difference On AND Off The Field.
