Some H.S. football teams still not reporting scores to Gridiron New Jersey; NJFCA reminds coaches of their obligations

For the second week in a row, the New Jersey Football Coaches Association is reminding high school coaches in its weekly email that they must report their scores to Gridiron New Jersey as soon as possible after their games are completed.

While many log in and add scores and update statistics on NJ.com, the only mandate from the NJSIAA is that all scores of all games must be reported to Gridiron New Jersey within two hours of a game’s completion, and they need to be reported by both teams for the sake of accuracy.

According to the NJSIAA’s football regulations for 2024: “Final scores must be reported within 2 hours of the conclusion of each game to Gridiron New Jersey via email to football@njsiaa.org or via text to Jon Fass. Please be sure to include both team names and final score. For those schools not timely reporting their game results, as indicated above, a warning will be given the first time the school fails to comply. Future failures to timely report results may be subject to a $150 fine.”

On Week Zero, dozens of scores were not reported around the state, and the NJFCA sent coaches an email reminder.

So far in Week One, with 16 games scheduled Thursday night, four of them were missing as of the NJFCA’s email sent out around 10:15 am. By lunchtime, the missing scores had been reported.

Because the NJSIAA uses Strength Index to determine OSI, which is 60 percent of the UPR playoff formula, and Strength Index is reliant on the scores of game, it’s important scores are reported in a timely fashion, and are accurate.

A wrong score, discovered weeks later, not only affects the two teams in that game, but any subsequent games played by those two opponents, and anyone else they played.

For example, if Team A and Team B play, and their score is wrong, and it’s discovered two weeks later, it also will affect Team A’s next two opponents, and Team B’s. And when Team A plays Team C the following week, it will affect Team C’s and Team A’s opponents the following week.

So, one wrong score, can affect up to a dozen or more teams just two weeks down the line.