Its amazing how few people understand the difference between JUSTICE and UNIFORM (no pun intended) INJUSTICE.
Rules and laws are necessary for the functioning of civil society, however justice doled out through fundementalist style adheration to the letter of the law, rather than reasoned consideration of the spirit and intent of the law, undermine rather than enhance the construction of lawful society.
Historically, when has fundementalism ever produced anything other than conflict and suffering? Fundementalism has given us the Nazi's, abussive plural marriage cults, Islamic terrorism, abortion clinic bombings, and the Oklamhoma City bombing on top of other countless horiffic atrosities. Doesn't really seem like a mindset or doctrine that we should be applying to highschool athletics does it?
Screw zero tolerance. Give me reasonable justice doled out by a jury of my peers (or in the case of a highschool track meet, at the discretion of a reasonable, trained official), not by the letters in some law (or rulebook) which can not possibly anticipate every possible situation or extenuating circumstance.