IHSA Announcements

January 20, 1998

Board Approves Changes in Terms and Conditions

BLOOMINGTON — Recommendations from seven Advisory Committees were acted upon by the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Board of Directors at its regular January meeting Tuesday (Jan. 20) at the IHSA Office.

Following is a recap of Board action regarding each of the committee proposals:

Boys/Girls Cross Country

  1. Approved a recommendation to increase the length of the girls course in the state series in both Class A and Class AA to a distance of not less than 2.25 miles and not more than 2.75 miles, but modified the recommendation to specify the length of the course in both the Class A and Class AA girls State Final races will be 2.5 miles.
  2. Approved recommendations that will authorize the games committee to serve as a jury of appeals, that the results will be posted at the state final site and there will be a 30-minute time period for appeals following each race, and that only the video of a race authorized for use in review will be that which is authorized by IHSA.
  3. Approved a recommendation that will allow use of inhalers, oxygen, glucose gel or other doctor prescribed medication that is not a performance enhancer without prior approval of the starter.

Boys/Girls Golf

  1. Approved a recommendation in boys golf to advance a maximum of twelve (12) individual players from each sectional to the state final, and that the USGA tie breaking procedure be used to break ties for the 12th spot.
  2. Approved a recommendation to start the lowest scores off the first tee and the highest scores off the tenth tee at the regional and sectional if both tees are utilized at the site.

Boys/Girls Tennis

  1. Approved use of regular ad-scoring for indoor matches when a medal is at stake (places 1 through 6).
  2. Approved several recommendations in the Code of Conduct.
  3. Did not approve a recommendation to allow a school to replace a singles player in the State Final.
  4. Approved a recommendation for the boys and girls series to advance the first, second and third place finishers in singles and doubles to the state final; to advance the members of the sectional championship team; and to advance at-large entries to complete the draw from the pool of fourth place finishers statewide. The at-large selections would be chosen by the IHSA Office and the Tennis Seeding Committee based upon records and seeding information and to represent the geography of the competitors.

Boys/Girls Volleyball

  1. Tabled until the April meeting recommendations to alter the structure of the Class A and Class AA girls series to accommodate the sectional complex format, and to alter the awards formula in both girls and boys volleyball.
  2. Approved a recommendation to require the use of two (2) line judges in all levels of competition in the state series in boys and girls volleyball beginning in the 1998-99 (next) school year.
  3. Did not approve recommendations that IHSA require use of two line judges in varsity matches in 1999-2000 and require use of two line judges in all levels of competition in 2000-2001.
  4. Approved a $10 per match fee for line judges in the boys and girls state series beginning with the 1998-99 (next) school year, and a housing allowance for state final line judges.
  5. Approved recommendations for the boys and girls state finals to allow for two (2) additional passes to the event for the competing teams.
  6. Approved a recommendation to allow players on the competing teams to practice ball handling during the time period between games in the boys and girls series.
  7. Approved the addition of an Officials Day promotion at the state final tournament beginning in the 1998-99 (next) school year, and continuing the Captains Day promotion, which drew more than 300 varsity captains to Redbird Arena this year.

Sportsmanship/Ethics

  1. Accepted the report of the committee. Among administrative recommendations were procedures for the use of the new Add A. Tude™ mascot, ideas for development of a televised sportsmanship town meeting, collective purchasing through the IHSA Office by member schools of Add A. Tude™ floor and wall banners and other tools to promote good sportsmanship, and creation of a standardized sign to be displayed at all member school tickets windows stating:
No Respect
No Self-Control
No Admittance

Sports Medicine

  1. Accepted the report of the committee meeting.

Officials

  1. Accepted the report of the committee's fall meetings. Among the administrative recommendations approved is a return to reciprocity for officials in neighboring states. Officials with a current license from a neighboring state will be able to obtain an IHSA license at a reduced rate. These officials would not be sent the current rules books from Illinois, nor would they have to meet the other requirements to be licensed. They would not be eligible for appointment to IHSA state series assignments. To become eligible for assignment to IHSA state series, an official must obtain a full IHSA license. The Board did not approve a recommendation that only Illinois residents be appointed to officiate in the state series.

Other Action

The Board took the following action regarding the general business of the Association:

  1. Approved no increase is membership dues fees for the 1998-99 (next) school year, with the fee remaining $25 per school.

Eligibility Decisions

  1. Sustained the Executive Director's ruling that a student is ineligible at Arlington Hts. (St. Viator) until June 13, 1998, for noncompliance with transfer by-law 3.043.4. She played softball for Rolling Meadows (H.S.) in the spring of 1996-97 and transferred to St. Viator in the fall of 1997, without a move by her parents to a new school district.

  2. Modified the Executive Director's ruling and determined that a student is eligible in regard to his residence at Maroa-Forsyth for the 1997-98 school year. The student is not considered to be a transfer student since he had completed the required schooling in his home country of Australia, and now attends Maroa-Forsyth as a resident living in the district with his court-appointed legal guardian. The Board also held that Maroa-Forsyth does not have to forfeit the interscholastic contests it won and in which Michael has participated.

  3. Sustained the Executive Director's ruling that a student is ineligible for basketball at LaGrange (Lyons) for the 1997-98 school year. She withdrew from Oak Park (Fenwick) on Nov. 7 and entered Lyons on Nov. 17, following a move by her parents to the Lyons district. The Executive Director ruled her ineligible for thirty (30) days from the date of transfer and she began playing basketball at Lyons after that period of ineligibility. On Jan. 16, having obtained additional information that the student had participated in basketball tryouts and practice at Fenwick prior to her transfer, the Executive Director issued a revised ruling holding her ineligible under by-law 3.042 for the 1997-98 basketball season. The Board also ruled that LaGrange (Lyons) not be required to forfeit any games in which the student participated under the provisions of the Executive Director's ruling.

Discussion Items

At each meeting of the Board of Directors, there are certain agenda items which the Board discusses but upon which it takes no action. Following is a report of those on the January, 1998, agenda:

  1. "No Pass-No Play" Legislation: The Board reviewed the content of recent legislation passed by the Illinois General Assembly, specifically the provisions of the school funding bill which apply to student eligibility in extra-curricular activities. The Board discussed a number of suggestions submitted to the IHSA Office from member school principals and conferences. Suggestions have ranged from encouraging IHSA to drop its academic standards and to allow the State Legislature to set those it wants to establish to amending the current standards to set a statewide minimum grade point average for extracurricular activities. The Board will review the impact of the legislation in more detail at its next regular meeting.

  2. Sportsmanship Town Meeting: The Board heard a report of the nationwide disappointment in the presentation by ESPN of its Sportsmanship Town Meeting. Communicating of behalf of the National Federation, its Executive Director Robert Kanaby wrote to ESPN President Steven Bornstein and expressed that "although your 'Outside The Lines' show included problems relative to sportsmanship at the high school level. . . it was remiss. The content failed to discuss solutions and directions that all who are involved in sports must examine if we are to address the issue with purpose and meaning for the youth of our nation."

  3. Water Polo State Series: The Board heard a report of the recent approval by the membership of sport season by-laws for the sport of Water Polo. A proposal submitted by Mundelein (H.S.) for the Board to consider implementing a state series in the sport was tabled previously pending the outcome of the vote on the by-law. The Board authorized the IHSA Office to form a committee of persons closely involved in water polo to review the Mundelein proposal and bring a recommendation for action on that proposal to the Board no later than its April 6, 1998, meeting.

  4. Official Ball Agreement: The Board heard a report of discussions with Wilson Team Sports personnel by members of the IHSA staff and received a negotiated agreement under the terms of the existing contract for an extension of the current official ball adoption for five years beginning July 1, 1999, adding soccer and volleyball to the mix. The Board will take action on the proposal at its next regular meeting.

  5. March Madness Experience: The Board heard a report of plans under way for the 1998 March Madness Experience Playing in Peoria. Among the new sponsors of the event are Phillips 66 (sponsoring the Hoop 66 event) and Peoria Journal Star (sponsoring the Journal Star Jump Ball Jamboree for grade school students).