Dighton-Rehoboth forfeits field-hockey game: Why is Massachusetts high school avoiding Somerset-Berkley matchup?

Dighton-Rehoboth High School has forfeited its upcoming girls' field hockey matchup against Somerset-Berkley scheduled for Sept. 17. The Massachusetts-based school is the first in the district to take advantage of a ruling it was instrumental in introducing.

But what does this ruling state, and why is the school avoiding facing Somerset-Berkley?

Why is Dighton-Rehoboth avoiding the Somerset-Berkley matchup?

The reason why the Dighton-Rehoboth girls' field hockey team is forfeiting its game with Somerset-Berkley is because Somerset-Berkley reportedly has a male player on its team.

Under the Massachusetts Equal Rights Amendment, female hockey teams are allowed to have a male on the team if there is no male equivalent team.

Dighton-Rehoboth's apprehension of the boy on the Somerset-Berkley team relates to a previous incident when another school had a male playing on a female team.

Dighton-Rehoboth's game against Swampscott was marred by a serious injury to a female player. This injury came when a boy playing for Swampscott fired the ball at the face of the girl. It was later said that the injured female had sustained "significant facial and dental injuries."

This led to Dighton-Rehoboth calling for a rule change to prevent incidents like that from happening again. Speaking about the incident and the need for a change, Dighton-Rehoboth Superintendent Bill Runey told CBS News in July:

"We felt that the injury that happened back in November was so grave, so devastating, that it would've prompted change."

What does the change allow?

The change now allows for coaches in the Dighton-Rehoboth district to opt out of games without giving a reason. There will be no consequences for this. The policy says that:

"No student-athlete on a single-sex team shall be penalized by the District in any manner for refusing to play...against an opposing team because that team includes a member of the opposite sex."

This is what Dighton-Rehoboth High School has done. Speaking to the Taunton Daily Gazette about the decision, the school's superintendent Bill Runey said:

"We understand this forfeit will impact our chances for a league championship and possibly playoff eligibility, but we remain hopeful that other schools consider following suit to achieve safety and promote fair competition."

The impact of this decision is yet to be felt, but it does mean that both teams are going to have to wait a little bit longer to play their next game.