MONTEGO BAY, St James — For the first time in recent memory an ISSA/LIME schoolboy football game has been ruled null and void after both daCosta Cup Zone F schools Cross Keys High and DeCarteret College turned up without identification cards for their opening game on Saturday.

After investigating why the game was not played as scheduled, ISSA’s competitions secretary George Forbes ruled the game would be considered “null and void” and no points awarded to either school.

“This is unacceptable at this stage,” Forbes told the Jamaica Observer. “There are no reasons why either schools should not have their identification cards for the start of the season.”

Rule number two of the schoolboy football competitions says “all players must have an ISSA-issued photo ID before they can participate”. It is said that it takes a minimum of five working days to process IDs.

Meanwhile, sportsmaster at Cross Keys Junior Deans told the Observer yesterday he would be waiting to see the referee’s report before making his next move.

Deans said “most of our players had their IDs”, but he could not say for certain that 11 players were eligible to take the field.

Both schools are scheduled to be back in action on Wednesday.