Abbeville High School mistakenly allowed eighth graders to participate in a recent football practice, resulting in a $250 fine from the LHSAA and one year on probation.

Abbeville Principal Ivy Landry said that the rule barring eighth graders from practicing with high schoolers is set to change in 2012, but that his team believed it had already changed.

Landry said that, when the mistake was realized, AHS reported it to the LHSAA.

He said that, since his school self-reported, he knew the punishment would amount to a slap on the wrist from the high school athletic ruling body.

“We did what we would hope that our students would do,” in admitting to their mistake, Landry said.

In 2012, eighth graders will be allowed to participate in practices as long as they have scheduled classes at a particular high school for the next school year.