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WIAA Board of Control approves seeding soccer and team tennis tourneys plus other changes

02/02/2017, 8:00am CST
By WSN

The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association Board of Control approved a number of coaches’ committee recommendations and other action items at its February meeting today.

Two of the new season regulations will implement seeding of the State Tournaments in boys and girls soccer and in boys and girls team tennis beginning in the fall 2017-18. The tennis coaches’ recommendation to have an existing committee seed the State Tournament was amended to assign the coaches of the qualifying teams to seed their respective divisions.

The boys volleyball State Tournament has been seeded since 2012, and the boys and girls hockey State Tournaments have been approved for seeding in 2018.

Two other soccer recommendations were approved. In emergency situations, it is now permitted to use one licensed official and two volunteers to assist at subvarsity games. The volunteers’ role is restricted to indicating when a ball is out of bounds and what team will receive the throw-in. A WIAA officials license will not be required for the volunteers, nor will they be required to be outfitted in officials’ apparel. The third change mandates the entire grouping of schools to meet together to determine seeds at the regional seed meeting.  

An additional four recommendations were approved in tennis. Beginning in 2017-18, a varsity reserve or junior varsity program competing in a varsity event will count toward a school varsity team’s maximum of 14 allowed competitions. Also passed was a measure to eliminate forfeits and retirements–issued because of a violation of the United States Tennis Association rule for the maximum number of matches per day–from seeding consideration.  Two other rule changes address ethics in setting line-ups. When requested by a coach to review another team’s line-up at subsectionals, a majority of coaches shall determine whether or not a team’s line-up is ranked according to their ability. Consequently, if a team’s line-up is determined by the coaches to be out of order, the offending coach shall provide a corrected line-up for review and approval by the subsectional coaches.

Two football coaches recommendations advanced through the committee review process for approval. The earliest day of practice will be moved to August 1 in 2017 and 2018 with equipment to be issued on the first day of practice. The second change approves minor editorial changes to the football playoff qualifying criteria language.  

The one volleyball change to the regulations retains the sectional half-bracket in Divisions 2, 3 and 4 unless the majority schools in the respective grouping vote to split into two regionals. A tie vote would result in retaining the larger grouping. In addition, the deadline for schools to vote on the grouping has been moved to May 1.

The one change in the golf rules eliminates the penalty if a ball or ball marker on a putting green is accidentally moved by a player, opponent or equipment. 

The Officials Advisory committee recommendation to allow swimming and diving officials to wear khaki-colored pants or shorts was also supported by the Board of Control.

An eight-player football realignment plan receiving final approval by the Board places the Mercer/Butternut co-op in the Lakeland Conference for eight-player football only beginning in the fall of 2017.

In other realignment action, the Board approved the first consideration of Lincoln High School moving to the  Lakeland Conference for eight-player football only beginning in the fall of 2017.

Membership rules require a 40-day window for schools involved in realignment plans to appeal the first consideration of the Board action before it makes a final decision. Thus, schools have until March 13, 2017, to file an appeal of the initial vote. The Board will give final consideration of the plan at its meeting on April 25, 2017.

Other action items receiving Board approval were a $1 increase for an all-day ticket at the State Softball Tournament this spring, which takes into consideration an additional game on each day with the added fifth division. Also approved were the financial statements, general fund statements, general fund payments, the 990 tax form for 2016 and appointments to the Middle Level Council.

Among the other discussion topics were the results of the membership survey conducted by School Perceptions and the executive staff participation at the 8-State Exchange and Let’s Connect meetings. The Board also received a liaison report from Peggy Seegers-Braun of the Wisconsin Athletic Directors Association.

The membership of the WIAA oversees interscholastic athletic programs for 511 senior high schools and 38 junior high/middle level schools in its membership. It sponsors 27 championship Tournament series for boys and girls in 2016-17.

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