(Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

AURORA — Football’s calendar will align with the national setup, allowing for more consistency with surrounding states, and flexibility within the state’s current format.

Additionally, volleyball is heading to a bracket format, there will be a new process for adding a new sport, teams will be allowed to play an exhibition game to raise money for their program, and baseball’s move to a 23-game regular season in 3A, 4A and 5A was approved.

Those were among changes made by the CHSAA Legislative Council during the first of their two annual meetings on Thursday.

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Football changes

(Dustin Price/dustinpricephotography.com)

For the immediate 2018 season, football’s changes means that the start of practice will move up by a week, and begin on Aug. 6. Additionally, this change will build in a bye week for classes 4A through 6-man, and allow for 5A to move to a 24-team playoff — something that was also approved on Thursday.

The lead up to full contact will be as follows: two days in helmets, two days of full pads with limited contact, and one day of full pads and full contact. Scrimmages will be allowed on Aug. 16, with the first regular season games allowed on Aug. 23.

No longer will the first week of competition be known as Zero Week — the former scrimmage/contest hybrid week. Instead, it’ll simply be Week 1.

Because the existing approved dates of the postseason remain in place, it leaves a bye week during the regular season for 6-man through 4A, and a bye week for the top eight seeds in the 5A football playoffs while seeds Nos. 9-24 play in the first round.

Elsewhere in football:

• 2A and 3A will play their championship games at a neutral site.
• The proposed league alignments were all approved and are now final.
• As noted above, 5A is moving from a 16-team playoff to a 24-team playoff.

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Volleyball bracket

(Ray Chen/ArrayPhoto.com)

All five classes of the state volleyball tournament, held annually at the Denver Coliseum, will change from pool play to a bracket starting this fall.

The bracket format will be a 12-team Olympic crossover, meaning it will be double-elimination up until the semifinals, where the tournament will change to a single-elimination.

“We are really excited to be moving in this direction,” said CHSAA assistant commissioner Bethany Brookens said following the volleyball committee meeting last November.

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New process for adding activities and sports

(Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

The process for adding a new sport or activity — something that was in the spotlight last January with boys volleyball — has been overhauled.

Now, the process will be as follows:

• The Board of Directors must approve the new activity for a piloting process, while taking into account things like “longevity and history of the activity, support from the activity’s governing body, ability to host a coach’s clinic on skills and safety (sports only),” and “adequate number of officials (sports only).” The pilot program must last at least one year. New activities can ask for a pilot program from the Board at any point.
• The new activity must have support from the Classification and League Organizing Committee, the Sports Medicine Committee, the Equity Committee, the and Board of Directors before the Legislative Council can vote on it.

The new bylaw additions also outlines step-by-step what each new activity should be doing, and when.

It seems likely that boys volleyball and girls wrestling will approach the Board to begin the piloting process. Both sports have expressed interest.

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Foundation Showcase creates exhibitions to raise money

A new bylaw which allows teams to participate in a “Foundation Benefit Contest” beyond the game limits was approved.

This will allow schools the opportunity to schedule exhibition games where they charge admission, keep score and raise money for their programs or a cause.

These games will not have any impact on postseason/playoff considerations.

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Elsewhere:

• Here’s a full breakdown of baseball’s increase to 23 games in 5A, 4A and 3A.
• The Technology Committee gave a report on their recommendation with the RPI.
• Seven new schools were approved for initial membership: DSST-Byers, KIPP Northeast, Loveland Classical, Riverdale Ridge, Strive Prep Rise, Strive Prep Smart, Thomas MacLaren. This gives CHSAA 358 member schools.
• Stargate, Golden View Academy and Victory Prep Academy were approved as full members.
• The cross country proposal to score four of the six runners at the 2A state meet was amended, so 2A will remain with three scoring runners.
• Field hockey officially changed its OT procedure for the playoffs. Now, games will play 11 on 11 in the first OT. If still tied, they will play 7 on 7 in a second OT. If the game remains tied, they will go to a shootout.
• 3A girls soccer’s postseason field will expand from 24 to 32 teams in 2019.
• New CHSAA Board members to start in 2018-19: Luke DeWolfe, Steamboat Springs; Chase McBride, Niwot; Obafemi Alao, DSST-Green Valley Ranch; Don Steiner, Evangelical Christian.

(Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

AURORA — The Legislative Council meets next month, and they’ll have their hands full with more than 40 items to vote on.

It’ll be a busy meeting with a wide range of proposals and committee reports. Find a full agenda and complete information here. The group will meet on Jan. 25 at the Radisson Denver Southeast.

Among proposal highlights:

• Changing football to align with the NFHS calendar.
• Lengthening baseball’s season.
• The creation of a foundation game to act as a fundraiser.
• Adjusting the allowed Sunday contact for seniors.

We’ll break these down below.

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Changes to the football calendar

(Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

One proposal, coming from the Centennial League and backed by the football committee, seeks to align football with the NFHS calendar. If passed, it would mean that 2018 practice would start on Aug. 6 as opposed to Aug. 13.

The rationale behind the proposal is that in increases player safety by increasing the amount of non-padded and non-contact practice, and gives them more time to acclimate before games. Additionally, it would help scheduling as surrounding states by and large use the NFHS calendar to start practice.

This change would also make Week 1 on Aug. 23-25, and give all classes save for 5A a bye week during the regular season. 5A, which is proposing going to a 24-team playoff, would get its bye in the postseason. Teams could scrimmage starting on Aug. 16.

All postseason dates would stay the same if this proposal passes. It requires a simple majority to do so.

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Adding games to the baseball season

(Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

The Centennial and Continental Leagues have teamed up to propose lengthening baseball’s regular season.

A topic discussed at length during the baseball committee, this proposal would specifically increase the varsity games limit to 23 for classifications that do not play district tournaments. Only 1A and 2A play district tournaments, so this proposal only affects 3A, 4A and 5A. 

(There is a companion proposal which also increases innings limits to go in line with the games increase.)

Colorado hasn’t increased the number of baseball games it plays since 1966. The rationale behind the proposal points out that other Northern states play “in excess of 25-25 games” during their regular seasons. This proposal also mirrors the current format in volleyball.

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Foundation game

(Katie Pickrell/CHSAANow.com)

The Board of Directors is proposing the creation of a new Foundation Benefit Contest, which will allow schools to raise funds for their programs.

The Foundation game (or match) is for all sports, and for varsity or sub-varsity programs. These contests will not count toward the regular season game limits, nor will their result have an impact on any consideration for the postseason.

Schools can charge admission, but must contract officials and keep score of the contest. There is a sanctioning fee that helps support the Foundation for Colorado High School Students Activities, the CHSAA Hall of Fame, and CHSAANow.

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Sunday contact for seniors

This proposal, which also comes from the Board of Directors, would create an exception to allow for Sunday contact with seniors who have finished their careers.

Notably:

If the student is a multi-sport athlete, they are not allowed to have Sunday Contact with their coach until they have completed their high school sport participation in that particular sport, so long as that coach doesn’t also coach additional sports that athlete will participate in during the remainder of their senior year.

For example, if an athlete participates in volleyball and girls basketball, she would be allowed to have Sunday contact with her volleyball coach after that season ends, so long as that volleyball coach doesn’t also coach girls basketball.

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Committee reports need approval

(Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

There are 15 committee reports up for approval. We have had coverage of a number of them:

• The Classification and League Organizing Committee set new enrollment splits for all sports. They also approved the initial membership of seven new schools.
• The volleyball committee is recommending a new bracket format for its state tournament.
• The cross country committee is recommending a run six, score four format. There is a separate proposal which seeks to reverse this recommendation — which is exactly what happened at Legislative Council last January. The XC committee also recommended having a fifth team advance out of 2A regionals.
• There weren’t many major changes from the softball committee, but they did consider some postseason changes.
• The baseball committee recommended postseason changes in 1A and 2A, and also backed that 23-game proposal.
• The football committee set is new two-year alignment, and also recommended expanding 5A to a 24-team playoff. The committee also recommended a neutral site for the 2A and 3A championship games.

Elsewhere:

• The field hockey committee adjusted overtime procedures for postseason games. Their recommendation is one 10-minute OT with a full field (11-on-11) of players. If still tied, the game would go to a second 10-minute OT, but at 7-on-7. If still tied, the game would go to a shootout.
• The soccer committee is recommending expanding the 3A girls postseason field from 24 to 32 teams. Boys soccer is set to add 2A in the fall of 2018, which has already been approved.
• The tennis committee recommends that coaching now be allowed “off court during all point, game and set breaks in a match” so long as it doesn’t cause a disruption.

On January 25, the Legislative Council will meet in Aurora. Below is information about the meeting, including links to the agenda and proposals that will be considered.

Where: Radisson Denver Southeast (3155 S. Vaughn Way, Aurora)

• Meeting preview

Files

• Agenda (.pdf)
• Full packet (.pdf)
• All proposals (.pdf)
• April 2017 minutes (.pdf)

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Schedule

Wednesday, January 24, 2017

• 3:30-4:30 p.m. – New Legislative Council Orientation (Conifer)
• 5-6:15 p.m. – Reception for Hall of Fame Inductees (Main Lobby)
• 6:30 p.m. – Hall of Fame Banquet (Grand Ballroom)

Thursday, January 25, 2017

• 7:45-8:30 a.m. – Continental Breakfast
• 8:30 a.m. – Meeting Convenes (Arapahoe/Douglas)
• 10 a.m. – Coffee/Tea/Soft Drink Break
• 11:45 a.m. – Lunch
• 1 p.m. – Meeting Reconvenes

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Action Items

Note: Constitutional Proposals require 2/3 vote for approval; Administrative and Sport Proposals requires majority vote for approval, unless otherwise noted.

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Action items — Committee reports

Note: Require majority vote for approval, unless otherwise noted. Some committees report at the April meeting. Those are noted.

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Nominations – Board of Directors

• Replacement for Paul Cain, District 1. Will be from the Western Slope League.
• Replacement for Rick Logan, District 2. Will be from the Northern League to finish his term.
• Replacement for Loren Larrabee, District 5. Will be from the Confluence League.
• Replacement for Joe Garcia, District 8. Will be from the Black Forest League.

(Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

AURORA — Rhonda Blanford-Green was introduced as CHSAA’s next commissioner on Thursday, appearing before the Legislative Council during its April meeting.

Blanford-Green was hired to be the ninth commissioner of the Association in March. She called her career — which took her to Nebraska and Louisiana after 16 years at CHSAA — a “circular journey” as she readies to return to Colorado.

She then spoke about her predecessor, Paul Angelico, who mentored Blanford-Green when she previously was associate and assistant commissioner at CHSAA.

“I want to thank Paul, because through your leadership, Colorado serves as model nationally for some of the things that you do,” Blanford-Green said. “It really resonates across the country that we get in front of issues. We aren’t reactive. We don’t allow people on the outside dictate what we need to be doing for our student-athletes and our programs.

“So I want to thank Paul,” she continued. “It will be hard to fill your shoes, but I just wanted the membership to know that our visions align. I know that, under my leadership, we will continue to do what’s best for kids in the state of Colorado.”

The two spoke on Wednesday night, “and he left with with three pieces of advice,” Blanford-Green said.

“The first is to keep kids first,” she said. “(The second:) ‘If you try to be perfect in everything, you will fail at this job.’ And, ‘Don’t cuss as much as I do.’

“So, I’ll address No. 1 first: My history and my advocacy for kids across the nation, especially in Colorado, speaks for itself. That doesn’t change now,” Blanford-Green said. “When it’s part of your core values, it’s who you are. I know that will be something that won’t be hard to accomplish.

“Second,” she continued, “perfection, I know, isn’t attainable. I will make mistakes, but they won’t be because I and our staff are not prepared, and we will always be led by the mission and the vision of the CHSAA to make the decisions on behalf of the membership and the kids.

“No. 3?” she said. “No promises.”

Blanford-Green also thanked the Board of Directors for the opportunity to become CHSAA’s commissioner.

“I want you to know that I don’t take your trust in me, or your faith in me, lightly,” Blanford-Green said.

She closed by saying that she felt “blessed, I’m humbled, and I’m honored to serve and work for the CHSAA staff, the Board of Directors, the membership, the student-athletes, our educational partners, CASE, CASB, school boards, and the state of Colorado.

Blanford-Green will attend the NFHS summer meeting in Rhode Island at the end of June as CHSAA’s commissioner, then begin her role in Colorado at the start of July.

(Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

AURORA — The CHSAA Legislative Council approved the addition of a mercy rule for basketball at Thursday’s bi-annual meeting.

After discussion over the implementation, the basketball committee report passed with 59 Council members voting for it with 11 voting against.

The new sportsmanship rule says that if a team builds a 35-point after the third quarter, the clock will begin running, only to stop for timeouts, injuries and free throws.

The rule will apply to all levels.

“Unfortunately the membership has had to implement a sportsmanship rule for its games,” said CHSAA assistant commissioner Bert Borgmann, who oversees basketball. “There were a variety of reasons that led to this and the basketball committee felt the rule proposed can address these issues but strongly encourages schools to take additional steps to ensure that their basketball coaches and teams maintain a high level of respect for their opponents.”

Like the 40-point mercy rule in football, once the 35-point margin is reached, the sportsmanship rule will take effect until the game is over. Even if the losing team pulls within the margin, the clock will continue to run.

The rationale behind the rule was to eliminate the humiliation factor in some regular season contests. It will also apply to postseason games.

When the basketball committee met to discuss the rule in early-February — with 16 days remaining in the regular season — 17.2 percent of girls games (841 of 4,892 total) and 12.8 percent of boys boys games (633 of 4,952) had ended with margins of 35 points or more.

Implementation of the rule will begin with the 2017-18 season.

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Notables

(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

• The Massey sisters from Frederick were recognized as winners of the NFHS Section VI Spirit of Sport Award.
• A new bylaw that strengthens when schools have to officially form a co-op was passed. Further details are available here.
• A proposal which penalizes violations of game contracts passed. There will now be a fine of $500 and probation for a first offense; $1,000 and restriction for second. Violations after that result in a mandatory meeting with the CHSAA office, and a penalty to be determined. All fines go to offended school.
• New equipment dates for football were approved.
• The swimming and diving report changed qualifying times in an effort to create four to five heats in each event.
• Spirit will split the 4A/5A co-ed cheer into separate divisions.
• Wrestling chair Ernie Derrera said pilot of girls wrestling will continue, and he wants to try and have girls tourneys each weekend.
• Hockey’s report passed, meaning Chaparral and Woodland Park will officially join as new teams in the 2017-18 season.

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More coverage

• The much-anticipated vote on boys volleyball sanctioning never happened as the Council rejected even considering the proposal.
• Outgoing commissioner Paul Angelico bid farewell to the Legislative Council.
• Rhonda Blanford-Green was formally introduced as our next commissioner.
• A replay of the live coverage we had of the meeting.

(Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

AURORA — Normally, CHSAA commissioner Paul Angelico provides the Legislative Council a detailed, yet brief update on the status of the Association.

But as he said at the beginning of Thursday’s address, his last as commissioner: This time is different.

He gave his thanks. He praised those in the CHSAA office that make the operations run as smoothly as they do.

He said goodbye.

And it wouldn’t be a true goodbye if he didn’t recap his time in the position. Coming into the role of commissioner, Angelico cared about the development of high school athletics and about what the kids were learning through participating in sports.

Under Angelico, laws regarding concussion policies and the use of athletic trainers were passed. This wasn’t just a CHSAA mandate. This was state law.

He cited a better partnership with the Colorado High School Coaches Association that has become essential in the interaction of coaches with the association.

Participating in such programs as You Can Play have become essential in giving kids the freedom to joins teams and programs without the threat of being teased or bullied.

But with all these accomplishments, Angelico was quick to remind the council of a very important aspect. The work is not done.

In his retirement, the Legislative Council and the Board of Directors will continue to advocate for high school athletics.

He may have sat in the driver’s seat for the last seven years, but the ship doesn’t run without the conglomerate of athletic directors and administrators that tackle the issues head-on.

“I think the things you have allowed us to do, what I wanted done seven years ago, which was to maintain the value of what high school sports have traditionally been about,” he told the council. “I didn’t do that, you did.”

Angelico had dreams and goals of what he could do as commissioner. But they were never things that he could do alone.

The Board and the Council had faith in him and gave him the flexibility to do what he needed to in order to steer the Association in the way that he felt was best not just for the athletic directors and the schools, but for the kids.

His efforts over the last seven years will play a heavy role in the direction of the association when Rhonda Blanford-Green takes over in July.

Before saying his final goodbye, he encouraged everyone to continue doing the work that they’re doing because that’s the only way that Colorado high school athletics will grow and evolve.

He signed off acknowledging that there are two important days in someone’s life. There’s the day they’re born and the day they figure out why.

When an emotional Angelico said his final goodbye to the Legislative Council, he knew exactly why he was born and he felt that he had done his best to carry out that mission.

He expressed gratitude to the crowd with emotion and humility.

And they returned that gratitude with a standing ovation.

AURORA — CHSAA’s Legislative Council is meeting on Thursday morning to vote on a variety of topics. We will have complete updates all day.

More info:

• Agenda, proposals and info
• Meeting preview

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(Matt Daniels/MattDanPhoto.com)

AURORA — CHSAA’s Legislative Council opted to not even consider sanctioning boys volleyball on Thursday.

As a result, the vote on a proposal that would have added a 28th sport never happened. Fifty-four percent of the Legislative Council voted against opening the Classification and League Organizing Committee report from January.

In order to have boys volleyball be considered, the CLOC report needed to be reopened.

It was a stunning red light given to boys volleyball, a sport that was seeking sanctioning for the third time.

“It’s not something we expected to happen,” said CHSAA assistant commissioner Bethany Brookens, who administers volleyball. “It’s very rare that an amendment doesn’t even get considered. We were expecting a lot of discussion on it. With that being said, the Legislative Council has the right vote how they feel they’re best representing their leagues and constituents.”

The Legislative Council — a 72-member body made up of representatives of leagues and associations, including athletic directors and other administrators — first voted by raising their panels on Thursday. But in order to be clear on the vote to open the CLOC report, commissioner Paul Angelico called for an electronic vote. That vote resulted in 54 percent of the body voting against opening the report.

After that, Angelico asked if everyone understood that merely opening the report would only lead to discussion, and asked if anyone on the Council wanted to change their vote, saying again that not reopening the CLOC report would mean no vote on the proposal.

But no one did. And so boys volleyball’s sanctioning never came to the floor.

The refusal to even open the CLOC report sent a loud message.

“Not getting enough votes to get it on the floor, I don’t know if it’s ever happened,” Angelico said. “If they couldn’t even get it on the floor, I have a feeling that that speaks volumes about what the vote would have been.

“We felt as though the Legislative Council should have at least discussed it,” he added, “but if they don’t want to talk about it, they don’t want to talk about it, and that’s the way it is.”

Thursday’s proposal was forwarded by the Tri-Peaks League, and spearheaded by Mike Prusinowski, the athletic director at James Irwin who also serves as the president of the Colorado Boys High School Volleyball Association. It sought to add boys volleyball as a two-classification sport in the spring.

Initially, boys volleyball seemed to have some stream behind its sanctioning quest in Colorado.

A survey of member schools seemed to indicate support for sanctioning, or at least, not much opposition. But then in January, the Equity Committee did not endorse sanctioning. Then, in recent weeks, as Thursday’s vote drew nearer, the overzealous approach of some of the sport’s supporters — including an email to schools predicting, by name, how each Legislative Council member how would vote based upon that survey — took some wind out of their sails.

This was the third time the sport has sought sanctioning from CHSAA. It is unknown if representatives of boys volleyball will try again in the future. They could try again next January — a time in which they would not have to reopen the CLOC report, as it would already be open.

On April 20, the Legislative Council will meet in Aurora. Below is information about the meeting, including links to the agenda and proposals that will be considered.

Where: Radisson Denver Southeast (3155 S. Vaughn Way, Aurora)

• Meeting preview: Jam-packed agenda includes boys volleyball sanctioning

Files

• Agenda (.pdf)
• Full packet (.pdf)
• All proposals (.pdf)
• January 2017 minutes (.pdf)

Meeting info

• Schedule
• Proposals
• Committee reports

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Schedule

Thursday, April 20, 2017

• 7:45-8:30 a.m. – Continental Breakfast
• 8:30 a.m. – Meeting Convenes (Arapahoe/Douglas)
• 10 a.m. – Coffee/Tea/Soft Drink Break
• 11:45 a.m. – Lunch
• 1 p.m. – Meeting Reconvenes

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Action Items

Note: Constitutional Proposals require 2/3 vote for approval; Administrative and Athletic Proposals requires majority vote for approval, unless otherwise noted.

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Action items — Committee reports

Note: Require majority vote for approval, unless otherwise noted. Some committees reported at the January meeting. Those are noted.

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Nominations – Board of Directors

• Replacement for Rick Mondt, CASE, Superintendent: Has not been determined.
• Replacement for Jim Thyfault, District 4: Angie Sanders, Conifer athletic director.
• Replacement for Eddie Hartnett, District 6: Mike Hawkes, Shining Mountain athletic director.
• Replacement for Rick Macias, District 9: Richard Hargrove, Springfield superintendent.
• Replacement for Kathleen Leiding, At Large: Will be determined by CHSAA.

The Legislative Council is going to be busy this April.

Already a big meeting because of the scheduled introduction of new commissioner Rhonda Blanford-Green, the representatives will be voting on a wide variety of important proposals. Perhaps the most visible is the proposed addition of boys volleyball as a sanctioned sport.

There’s also basketball’s proposed mercy rule, a proposal about co-op programs, one dealing with violating game contracts, and plenty more.

Full information about the April Legislative Council meeting, including an agenda and all proposals, is posted here. We’ll break it all down below.

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Boys volleyball seeks sanctioning

(Matt Daniels/MattDanPhoto.com)

Boys volleyball has long sought sanctioning from CHSAA, and this is actually the third official campaign from representatives of the sport. The Tri-Peaks League is sponsoring the proposal.

The administrative proposal seeking to amend the CLOC report will be among the first voted on at the April meeting. It is seeking to add boys volleyball as a spring sport, and have it immediately enter with two classifications that are based upon skill rather than enrollment. (This would kind of build on hockey’s tiered alignment, though that is within a single classification.)

According to the proposal, there are 50 teams currently competing as club high school teams. A recent survey of member schools indicated that 93 schools would consider adding a team, and 107 supported the sport’s sanctioning.

However, a group of boys volleyball representatives made a presentation to the CHSAA equity committee in January, and while the committee was impressed, it ultimately did not endorse sanctioning.

In a letter after that meeting, the equity committee cited data that showed that 81 percent of schools “responded that by adding this sport, their proportionality numbers would either be negatively affected or their school’s proportionality would become out of compliance.” Proportionality deals with the balance of boys and girls sports as mandated by Title IX.

Because of that, boys volleyball may face an uphill battle for sanctioning from the Legislative Council.

If boys volleyball is added — the vote will take a simple majority to pass — Colorado would become the 25th state to sanction it. CHSAA hasn’t added a sport since boys and girls lacrosse and field hockey were added from 1997-99.

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Proposal would clarify co-op programs

(Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

Last fall, the Hi-Plains football team won the 6-man championship.

Along the way, it underwent its fair share of scrutiny from its fellow schools and fans of opposing teams because it appeared to be reaping the benefits of a co-op program without actually forming a co-op — which would have forced it to combine enrollment numbers, and, as a result, move up to 8-man.

Well, the Board of Directors has forwarded a proposal to the Legislative Council dealing with co-op programs. Coincidence? Probably not.

To be fair, the Hi-Plains situation, which involved Flagler and bussing kids from one school to the other, drew a microscope because the team won a championship. As commissioner Paul Angelico said in December, “It’s more widespread than just these two schools.”

But, here we are.

This proposal clarifies what a school may not do if it doesn’t offer a program. It makes it so schools cannot:

• Dictate to which school a student must go if his/her school does not offer a program
• Provide transportation to that school for the student(s)
• Make an informal agreement between schools in regard to which school will offer a program and which will not
• Provide the receiving school with any funds, equipment, facilities, etc., for the student(s) going to play at that school
• Provide any physical support except to provide transcripts for eligibility checks

The rationale behind this proposal states that the state law which allows students to participate at other schools if their school doesn’t offer a program “is clear that where a student may play shall be the decision of the student and student’s parents, not the school that is sending the student.”

Furthermore, it adds that “small school athletics face enough challenges without schools using the law to gain a competitive advantage by dictation where students play sports and providing financial and transportation support for that student.”

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Committee reports to be voted on, including basketball’s mercy rule

(Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

As usual, individual sport committees have been meeting over the past few months and making their recommendations to the Legislative Council.

Included is basketball’s sportsmanship rule, which would institute a running clock when the score margin is 35 points or more after three quarters.

The basketball committee forwarded that proposal to the Legislative Council during its February meeting, along with a change to the regional format in Class 2A.

Earlier, we’d reported that a separate proposal would penalize violation of the sportsmanship rule. That proposal was not actually forwarded to the Legislative Council, and thus will not be voted on.

Along with this committee recommendation is a separate proposal from the Board of Directors that would penalize violation of the sportsmanship rule. If a team exceeds the 35-point margin more than three times in a season, it would be placed on restriction, along with their head coach.

Elsewhere:

• Hockey is seeking to add new programs at Chaparral and Woodland Park. It also wants to slightly amend its postseason waiver process.
• Spirit is seeking to separate the 4A/5A co-ed division into separate 4A and 5A divisions.

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Violating game contracts to be considered

Another proposal revolves around game contracts and creates penalties for not honoring the agreement.

Currently, bylaw 2860.1 reads that “member schools are expected to honor game contracts.” This would amend that bylaw to read that they “shall honor game contracts,” so long as they are written and signed by the principal or athletic director of each school. 

For a first violation of breaking as contract, a school would be placed on probation and required to pay a $500 reimbursement “to the offended school within 45 days.” A second violation would place the school on restriction, meaning none of their athletic programs could compete in the postseason, and require a reimbursement of $1,000 to the other school, as well as a “mandatory meeting with the CHSAA office with a penalty to be determined.”

Additionally, if a school doesn’t pay a fine to the other school within 45 days, it will be “placed on restriction.” The “penalty is non-appealable.”

It’s worth noting that the penalty “will only be applicable for varsity-level teams.”

The proposal was forwarded by the Board of Directors in response to a number of member schools who have identified what they feel is an increasing trend.

It requires a majority approval to pass.

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Notables

• A proposal dealing with football equipment dates was sent by the Board of Directors. It deals with using equipment and commercial and college camps, and it’s probably easier to just link the proposal itself.
• The Frontier League has forwarded an amendment to change basketball’s RPI percentages. The basketball committee is not in support of the amendment, which hasn’t been analyzed or discussed using official data.