IHSA Announcements

June 6, 2000

Board Approves Eight Football Classes Beginning In 2001 Season

The Illinois High School Association Board of Directors Wednesday at its regular June meeting voted to expand the number of classes in the Football Playoffs from six to eight beginning with the 2001 season.

The Board acted on several recommendations presented by the IHSA Football Advisory Committee to the Board following a meeting of the advisory committee on May 24. The Board did not approve another recommendation from the Football Advisory Committee to change the method of classification for public and private schools in the football playoff series. The rejected recommendation would have allowed public schools to use their actual enrollment for purposes of football classification, while requiring non-public schools to use the current football enrollment formula for their classification. (The football formula takes the enrollments of all opponents, discards the largest and smallest, then averages the remaining enrollments. Half the difference between the school's actual enrollment and the opponent average enrollment is then added to the actual enrollment to determine the football enrollment.)

Expanding the playoffs by adding 64 more teams was recommended by the Football Advisory Committee as a vehicle to alleviate the problem of scheduling. Over 40 percent of the football playing schools indicated they were having difficulty scheduling in a recent survey of those schools. By adding two classes to the playoff series, most (if not all) schools with winning records would have a berth in the playoffs. The Board delayed implementing the expansion until 2001 to allow for the administration of the series to be in place. During discussion, it was noted schedules for the current season (2000) have been completed. What impact the new system will have on future scheduling will begin to develop with the 2001 schedules.

If there had been an eight-class format in place for the 1999 (last) season, all teams with 5-4 records would have qualified for the playoffs. A few schools with 4-5 records also would have qualified.

The Board also discussed a question raised by the Football Advisory Committee regarding assistance by the Association to help schools without conference affiliation align with conferences and to schedule games. The Board will take a further look at this subject in its annual multi-day meeting July 16-18.

Other Terms and Conditions

The Board also acted upon recommendations from the music, chess and speech advisory committees:

Speech:

  1. Approved a recommendation to add a medallion for the coach of teams placing in the state final in Cross Examination and Lincoln Douglas Debate.
  2. Approved a recommendation to include monologues as acceptable materials in Dramatic/Humorous Interpretation.
  3. Approved a recommendation to define the use of live vocal music for Performance in the Round.
  4. Approved a recommendation to create a policy for media covering competition throughout the state series.
  5. Did not approve a recommendation to remove the name of the school a student represents from the programs throughout the state series.
  6. Tabled recommendations regarding awards for teams and individuals in Drama/Group Interpretation and Individual Events, pending a complete review of all award recommendations in all activities by the IHSA staff.
  7. Approved a change in the date for the Drama/Group Interpretation State Final to March 30-31, 2001 from March 23-24.

Music:

  1. Approved a recommendation that sets a procedure for mailing entry cards and contest fees to the local manager no later than six weeks prior to the contest.
  2. Approved a set of recommendations designed to clarify and enhance the educational aspects of Sight Reading Tests.
  3. Approved a recommendation to add Hard Bell Choir to the percussion instrumental ensemble to the list of events.
  4. Approved a recommendation to clarify that all ensemble events must represent and demonstrate a clear independence of parts. This is designed to resolve the problem of vocal groups being entered that were singing in unison and calling it an ensemble.
  5. Approved a recommendation in Swing/Jazz Choirs to allow accompaniment by as many instrumentalists as indicated by the score.
  6. Approved a recommendation regarding judging in orchestra which would require the judge to have orchestral background if the orchestra represents 25 percent or more of the performing ensembles.

Chess:

  1. Approved recommendations regarding the size of teams. Teams may consist of up to 12 players (played eight at a time) but no fewer than six.
  2. Approved a recommendation to award medals for a perfect 7-0 score on boards 6-8.
  3. Approved a recommendation to allow a school to count an open tournament where there is no winner if five or more varsity players participate.
  4. Approved a recommendation that scoring of tiebreaks, byes or forfeits be considered 48-20 wins.
  5. Approved a change in the procedure to make a team the winner if it has beaten all others it is tied with it in that section.
  6. Approved clarification in the penalty procedure to provide that "stacking" is a violation and is considered unsportsmanlike action resulting in team disqualification.
  7. Approved a recommendation that re-entry into the playing area in the last half-hour of time control in each period will not be allowed.

Board Resignation

The Board accepted with regret the resignation from Division 4 member William Wright of Savanna. Wright, who has been a member of the board for the past seven years, is leaving the Board on July 1. He will become the Savanna district superintendent of schools at that time. An election to fill the unexpired term in Division 4 will be held during the regular election process in October.

Other Action

  1. Accepted the proposal from Triad Graphics to be the vendor for all IHSA state final events. The contract will be for five school years beginning with the 2000-2001 school year.

  2. Authorized the IHSA staff to research and develop a proposal for a new state activity in recreational sports and games called the Rec-Streme Games. The intent of the concept is to provide statewide activities for students who are not involved with the main stream sports. The events involved in the Rec-Streme Games would be determined annually, and would include such events as outdoor sports, skateboarding and inline skating, handball, frisbee, rodeo, drum & bugle, etc.

  3. Did not approve a variance in the enrollment of Vernon Hills High School, new member school commencing operation in the upcoming (2000-01) school term. Vernon Hills will have only grades 9, 10 and 11 in the school this year, and will have all four grades at the school in 2001-02. The school's enrollment for classification purposes will be determined the same way it is for all other three-year schools. The quotient of the total of the three grades divided by three will be added to the total to give a four-year count.

  4. Approved several additions and changes in the definitions and illustrations regarding student and school by-laws approved by the membership regarding non-school and summer competition, camps and clinics. [See these definitions and illustrations at the end of this story.]

Discussion Items

At each meeting of the Board of Directors, there are certain agenda items the Board discusses but upon which it takes no action. Following is a report of those on the June 2000, agenda:

TV Rights Negotiations: The Board heard a status report of discussion between IHSA and Fox Sports Net Chicago/Intersport for possible renewal of an agreement to televise IHSA State Final events.

Boys Volleyball Sportsmanship: The Board heard a report of several unsportsmanlike incidents involving schools participating in the Boys State Final Volleyball Tournament. In each instance, the school involved was not represented at the state final by a member of its administration.

Officials Observers Program: The Board heard a preliminary report of an observers program for licensed officials being contemplated by the IHSA Officials Department. This is the next in a series of steps being taken to upgrade services to officials. The Officials Advisory Committee will review the plan at one of its 2000-01 school term meetings.

2000-01 Budget: The Board received preliminary information regarding the components of the Association's annual budget, and discussed the data. The Board will finalize the budget at its regular July meeting.


Proposed Additions/Changes to Illustrations

Definitions

Baseball: using or simulating the use of baseball equipment including but not limited to a bat, ball or glove to hit throw, catch or pitch; running bases.

Softball: using or simulating the use of softball equipment including but not limited to a bat, ball or glove to hit throw, catch or pitch; running bases.

A Coach: Any person, regardless of whether employed or volunteer, who instructs, supervises, or otherwise manages or participates with student athletes in conjunction with a practice, tryout, drill, workout, evaluation of competition activity.

Illustrations

By-law 2.070:
Q. May a college student or other alumnus participate in a school team practice?
A. No. A person who is not a student at the school and is not qualified and approved by the school as a coach under the provisions of this by-law may not participate in any respect in a school team practice. (By-law 2.070)

By-laws 3.021 and 3.022:
 Q. If a school utilizes a block 4 schedule, how many classes must a student pass to meet the scholastic eligibility requirements of the by-laws?
A. Regardless of the schedule utilized by the school, students must be passing enough courses on both a weekly and semester basis to earn two full credits. In a block 4 schedule where each class is worth one credit per semester, a student must be passing at least two of the four classes to be considered to be passing twenty credit hours as By-laws 3.021 and 3.022 require.

Current Illustration 60 -- Coach Playing on Team
Q. May a school coach play on a non-school team with students from the same school at which he/she coaches?
A. Yes, under the following conditions: a) during the school year, only if the number of players on the non-school team's roster who attend the school where the coach coaches does not exceed one half the number of players required to comprise the starting line-up for the sport; b) during the summer, between the close of school and Saturday of Week 4 in the IHSA Standardized Calendar, each day on which such participation occurs is considered to be a contact day for both the coach and students from his/her school.

Current Illustration 78 - Principal/Athletic Director Attendance
Q. May a principal or athletic director attend a sport rules meeting as the school's representative?
A. Yes, but only in emergency situations. The requirement of the by-law is that coaches attend the rules meetings. If a principal or athletic director attends in an emergency, the IHSA must be notified by the school in writing immediately following the rules meeting so credit for attendance by a school representative can be recorded. (By-law 2.120)

New Illustration 32
Q. Is participation in a 7 on 7 football passing league considered to be a contact day?
A. If a coach from the school of the participants provides instruction to participants before, during or after the game, it is considered to be contact and each day on which such contact may occur is considered to be a contact day for the coach and each student involved. (By-law 3.163)

Current Illustration 209 - School Provide Transportation
Q. May a school provide transpiration for students attending a summer sports camp?
A. Yes. (By-law 3.164)

Current Illustration 210 - Coach at Camp
Q. May a school coach be a staff member at a summer camp which students from his/her school attend?
A. Yes, provided the camp is conducted between the last day of school in the spring and Saturday of Week 4 in the IHSA Standardized Calendar. Note in addition that any day during the camp on which the coach and any student from his/her school are involved together in sports instruction will be considered a contact day for both the coach and student.

New Illustration -- School Pay Camp Fees
Q. May a school pay fees for students attending a summer sports camp?
A. No. (By-law 3.164)