Souhegan of Amherst head football coach Mike Beliveau will serve a one-game suspension for violating the NHIAA rule regarding preseason filming and scouting.

NHIAA executive director Patrick Corbin on Thursday confirmed the decision. He said Souhegan officials on Wednesday submitted the findings of their investigation. The report included the school-sanctioned punishment they deemed fair.

Corbin said he and the NHIAA football committee agreed.

“I know I had discussions before reading Mike’s recommendation (of missing two games),” said Corbin, referring to Wednesday’s story in the New Hampshire Union Leader. “I had a discussion with their athletics director (Ken Bigley). They were discussing two weeks.

“For the nature of the infraction, in football, two weeks is a good chunk of the season,” Corbin added. “The AD and myself agreed that one game was adequate for this situation.”

Beliveau, therefore, will miss Division III Souhegan’s Aug. 31 season-opener against Division II Winnacunnet of Hampton — the team whose scrimmage he attended last Friday.

“No further comment,” Beliveau said Thursday via text message. Souhegan’s 18-year head coach earlier this week told the Union Leader he unintentionally broke a rule he did not know existed.

The rule states that teams cannot begin attending or filming an opponent’s scrimmage or jamboree until the last one of the preseason.

Beliveau, a four-time championship-winning coach, watched Division I Nashua South scrimmage Winnacunnet.

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