A player shoved an opponent out of the postgame handshake line, and now both high school football teams are banned from the playoffs

The Florida High School Athletic Association has handed down a ruling with major consequences for three high school football programs. Deltona and Matanzas have both been banned from the postseason following a full-team brawl that broke out during the postgame handshake line.

As reported by BroBible, the trouble started during a game that was originally scheduled for September 4. Weather forced it to be pushed back to October 1, and the two teams used what was supposed to be an off weekend to play the makeup game instead. The Wolves defeated the Pirates 21-12, but things fell apart immediately after the final whistle.

As the players met at midfield, a Matanzas player pushed a Deltona player out of the line. That single shove triggered a chaotic scene that quickly turned into a full-team brawl, with punches thrown across the field. Fortunately, nobody was hurt during the melee.

One shove cost both schools any shot at a postseason

The FHSAA spent the week reviewing the incident and handed down its decision on Thursday. Both schools have been placed on restrictive probation, which bars them from participating in any championship competition and ends their playoff hopes for the year.

The seniors on both rosters will not be able to finish out a full season. On top of the playoff ban, multiple players from both teams are facing suspensions of at least one game. The schools could also potentially be hit with monetary fines.

Deltona and Matanzas were not the only programs to receive this news on Thursday. Miami Carol City was also placed on restrictive probation and removed from the postseason for a separate brawl that occurred last weekend. Taken together, the rulings make it clear that any team caught throwing punches will be stripped of its chance to play for a title.

Neither Deltona nor Matanzas was in strong position for a postseason spot before the ruling. The Pirates hold a 1-5 record, while the Wolves sit at 3-3.

Restrictive probation still carries weight beyond this season’s playoffs. If either program has another incident like this while on probation, it can expect much harsher consequences from the FHSAA.