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Fall Sports season regulations addressed plus more from today's WIAA Board of Control meeting

01/28/2015, 7:45pm CST
By WIAA

From the WIAA -- 

The WIAA Board of Control voted to approve several fall sport coaches’ recommendations and discussed how to effectively create awareness of the video summary created by the competitive equity committee at its January meeting today. 

School administrators and personnel, as well as members of local school boards are encouraged to watch the video. The moderated question-and-answer format summarizes the committee’s membership directive and its process, research and development of a “success factor” solution to be voted on by the membership at the Annual Meeting in April. The ad-hoc committee was formed after an amendment to impose a 1.65 multiplier on all private schools was sent to committee at last year’s Annual Meeting. To view video, access the link on the WIAA website homepage or access it directly on WIAA.tv at:

http://www.nfhsnetwork.com/events/wiaa-wi/9aa2f92f82

The Board approved recommendations in each of the fall sports with the exception of tennis. Three cross country coaches’ recommendations were ratified. The first allows the use of double lines and the use of natural and artificial boundary markers as an alternative method to mark cross country courses. The use of flags will still be required. The other two changes require sectional courses to have 90 minutes of warm-up time prior to the first race, and schools will now have their State Meet reimbursements withheld if they miss the sectional meet entry deadline and their team or individuals qualify for the State Meet. The school will also receive a letter of reprimand.

The same provision for withholding reimbursements to schools will also apply to schools submitting swimming and diving sectional entries after deadline, or adding omitted athletes or relays after the prescribed deadline. In addition, swimmers will not receive consideration for seeds in lane, heats or sections. One other approved swimming recommendation requires relay seed times to be the best time of the relay consisting of the actual swimmers entered in the relay and not the fastest season relay time.

In soccer, the Board granted an increase in the number of allowed days for multiple practices from the seven to 10 to begin the season as an adaptation of the prescribed acclimatization procedures. Another change coincides with the experimental change to 45 minute halves. The Board increased the total number of allowed minutes of play per day from 160 to 180 if continuation of the experiment is approved by the NFHS. A third rule change increases the roster limits for tournament series contests from 22 to 25. Each of the new rules will be implemented in the fall of 2015.

Board action placed three football recommendations into the Season Regulations in 2015. An adaptation to the acclimatization protocol will allow teams to practice up to 2 1/2 hours without a required break after the 10th day of practice to begin the season. Other football-related rules passed by the Board allows the host team to wear their home jerseys for all tournament games not played at a neutral site, and all schools considering participation in the 8-player format must declare their intent by Dec. 1.

A pair of golf recommendations received Board support. One allows a second school-contracted individual to coach during competition, and the other adds the illegal use of distance measuring devices to the list of unsportsmanlike penalties. 

The lone volleyball recommendation passed moves the Division 1 sectional semifinal doubleheader start times to 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. instead of 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.

In addition to the sport specific recommendations approved by the Board, two Officials Advisory Committee recommendations were adopted. Both measures attempt to address concerns of member schools in scheduling 
WIAA-licensed officials. With the exception of hockey, high school-aged WIAA restricted-licensed officials will now be allowed to officiate any sub-varsity level contest when teamed with a fully licensed WIAA official. Another condition of the new regulation is a fully WIAA-licensed official must be present to conduct weigh-ins and skin condition checks in wrestling. In addition, high school-aged WIAA-licensed officials will now be allowed to officiate as lines people for varsity games in soccer.

In other action, the Board approved the first consideration of a conference realignment plan to move St. Croix Central from the Dunn-St. Croix Conference to the Middle Border Conference and remove Durand from the Middle Border and place it in the Dunn-St. Croix for all sports, effective in the fall 2015.

Membership rules required a 40-day window for schools involved in realignment plans to appeal the first consideration of the Board before it takes final action. Thus, schools have until March 9, 2015, to file an appeal of the Board’s initial vote. The Board is scheduled to take final action on the plan at its April 21 meeting.  

The Board received reports from the Advisory Council on the possible amendments to the Constitution, Bylaws and Rules of Eligibility to be voted on by the membership at the Annual Meeting in April. The Board also heard Executive Staff reports on the NFHS Winter Meetings and the Connect 2015 Conference, as well as liaison updates from Mike Thompson of the Department of Public Instruction, John Ashley of the Wisconsin Association of School Boards and Jim McClowry of the Wisconsin Athletic Directors Association.

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