Log onto the home page for the South Carolina High School League, and the mission statement is bluntly obvious.

"An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules ..." reads the statement directly under the league's logo.

It is that kind of no-nonsense interpretation of the state athletic constitution that guides everything commissioner Jerome P. Singleton does when it comes to matters of compliance. And it's that no-nonsense dispensing of justice that has folks in North Augusta bristling.

Nine basketball players were declared ineligible for their upcoming senior year by the SCHSL because they participated in an impromptu workout at Paul Knox Middle School on April 11 to help a former teammate secure a scholarship to Clemson. The likelihood is that all the players will be reinstated soon, but whether or not they will have any postseason goals to look forward to is in jeopardy.

It seems a bit on the harsh side for a bunch of kids doing nothing more than playing a little pickup game to help a recruiter get a look at North Augusta standout Bryan Narcisse. Nobody was trying to gain an unfair advantage for a season more than six months away. Nobody was doing anything malicious. Nobody -- other than the assistant coach who was present -- could even reasonably be considered aware that a violation of league rules was taking place.

"I don't know that any of the kids would actually know the rule," said Mike Snyder, North Augusta's athletic director. "The coaches certainly should, and they were contacted by a coach to come."

But Singleton doesn't care about those details. It was all very black-and-white when the school dutifully sent him a letter reporting the possible violation of the "75 percent rule."

"By constitution, that's the penalty," Singleton said. "They hired me to enforce the rules as written. They don't give a window to determine intent. It doesn't play any role in my decision, because mine is clear-cut as written by constitution."

Only the executive committee has the authority to soften the sanctions that Singleton unilaterally imposed. North Augusta's appeal is scheduled for July, the next time the committee meets, but the school is trying to gather at least a five-member panel from among the 16 members of the executive committee for a special meeting to hear the appeal sooner.

Snyder is reasonably confident, based on precedent, that the kids will all have their eligibility reinstated. Even Singleton acknowledges that has been the practice he's experienced from the executive committee in similar situations.

"We feel like we've got a great chance, because their history is they've never, ever denied those kids' eligibility in that situation," Snyder said. "As far as the pre- and post-season bans we're appealing, we're at the mercy of the committee on that."

It's very easy to look at this relatively innocent situation and wonder whether the state's athletics governing body has lost its mind. It's easy to question whether the best interests of the student athletes are being tended to with such a harsh punishment.

But it's simply a process. Snyder tried to explain the situation in terms anyone with a driver's license could understand. If you're speeding on Interstate 20 and get pulled over by a state trooper, he will issue a ticket and the fine already will be established. He doesn't really care whether or not it was a downhill grade or there was nobody else on the highway or that you were changing the radio station or were late for church. A law's a law.

But the driver has the option of going to court and getting the charges and fine reduced.

That's where North Augusta is in the process, trying to plead down the original penalties imposed by the SCHSL.

"I don't think there was any intent (to break rules), and we'll certainly bring that up in appeal," Snyder said. "But I try to be realistic. Going back to the speeding thing, if you say you didn't know you were speeding, they still give you a ticket. Ignorance of the law doesn't float."

While the coach who contacted the players about the Narcisse workout should have known better, the kids can hardly be held accountable for not understanding the rules. Frankly, it's a dumb rule.

The 75 percent rule states that, out of season, no more than 75 percent of allowable starters can be gathered at one time on a school site.

That means that if any four basketball players start shooting around in the gym or seven baseball players start shagging flies on the diamond or nine football players start an impromptu game of flag football on the field, they all are subject to being disciplined, and the pending postseason is at risk.

That seems excessive. Shouldn't kids be allowed -- and even encouraged -- to play whenever they want? As long as it's not something organized and mandated by coaches, what's the harm?

Well, apparently it could cost a team coming off a stellar 21-5 season a chance to have anything to play for next year.

"That would be a big blow, and it may affect the kids mentally," said Snyder.

That shouldn't be the SCHSL's mission. A little latitude is in everyone's best interests.

Reach Scott Michaux at (706) 823-3219 or scott.michaux@augustachronicle.com.