Policing its own - Eleven years after ambush-marketing incident, ISSA still struggling to enforce self-imposed rules

Jamaica College's (JC) disqualification from the Walker Cup Knockout, a ban from next year's competition and the forfeiture of points from a Manning Cup fixture against St Catherine High after player Jamone Lyle was deemed ineligible, along with the sanctions imposed on Excelsior High School for fielding an ineligible player in two Manning Cup matches, have brought the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association's (ISSA) Amateurism Rule and broader questions of regulatory compliance back into sharp focus.

The sanctions against two of the island's most prestigious institutions highlight an ongoing challenge within Jamaican schoolboy sport. More than a decade after establishing strict regulations to protect student-athletes and preserve the integrity of its competitions, ISSA continues to find itself policing breaches by its own member schools.

Related coverageISSA Manning Cup Second Round Begins as Seeded Teams Enter Competition79 reports

A remarkable athletic performance and post-race celebration gave birth to the Amateurism Rule. Since then, however, a series of other infractions has kept ISSA busy reining in members that form the backbone of the organisation.