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Suspended game vs. terminated game

As officials, we often use the terms "suspended" and "terminated" interchangeably, but they have different and clear meanings.

Rule 18-1-1oo: SUSPENDED: A term which indicates that a game has been interrupted by the referee because of conditions which make it impossible to continue play but are not the fault of the participants or spectators. Examples of such conditions include inclement weather, power failure, or other emergency affecting playing conditions.

Rule 18-1-1qq: TERMINATED: A term which indicates that a game has been ended by the referee for action of the participants or spectators such as refusal to play or disorder. The status of the game, which may include forfeiture, shall be determined by proper authority.

Note that a suspended game may be resumed by the referee (inclement weather subsides, power returns, etc.) following an interruption, while a terminated game is ended by the referee. The other major difference is that a suspension is not the fault of participants or spectators, while a game is terminated as a result of participant or spectator action.

Also, Rule 7-1-3 is clear regarding what happens when a game is suspended:
"In the event a game must be suspended because of conditions which make it impossible to continue play, the head referee shall declare it an official game if one complete half or more of the game has been played. If less than one-half of the game has been played, the game may be rescheduled from the start, or restarted from the suspension of play according to state association adoption (18-1-1oo)."
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