IHSA Announcements

January 25, 1999

Board Acts on Advisory Committee Recommendations, Reports

BLOOMINGTON — Reports and recommendations from nine Advisory Committees were acted upon by the Illinois High School association (IHSA) Board of Directors at its regular January meeting Monday (Jan. 25) at the IHSA Office.

Changes approved by the Board in boys tennis and boys volleyball will be applicable for the upcoming spring state series in those sports. Following is a recap of Board action regarding each of the committee reports and Terms and Conditions recommendations:

Boys Football

The Board heard a report of the advisory committee meeting. There were no recommendations for Terms and Conditions changes pending any recommendations which might arise from the ad hoc committee.

At its Dec. 7, 1998 meeting, in response to two questions on the survey of principals regarding football, the Board specifically authorized the ad hoc committee to look into: a) possible expansion of the playoffs, and b) possible revisions in the football playoff structure to diminish the sport's impact on conference alignment. The seven appointees joining the current advisory committee will be selected from each of the Association's seven administrative divisions. Once the ad hoc committee has been finalized, it will determine meeting date(s) and other agenda items.

"The work of the football committee also could have far reaching impact on the sport," said Executive Director Dave Fry. "It may require more than one meeting. If by-law proposals are developed, they probably would be included in our regular legislative process which occurs in November of each calendar year. Recommendations for changes in the state series Terms and Conditions are not a part of the legislative process, but are presented to the Board of Directors for action."

Sports Medicine

  1. Approved a recommendation to support the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) position paper on CPR training and instructed the IHSA staff to distribute it to the member schools.

  2. Determined a recommendation that the Board require all coaches in IHSA schools to be Adult CPR certified was beyond the scope of the Board's authority. Such action would require an amendment to the by-laws and that can occur only a referendum of member schools.

Boys/Girls Cross Country

  1. Approved recommendations to increase regional and sectional host school allowances to defray costs of computerized scoring and related needs. Fees guaranteed by IHSA to regional hosts which use computerized scoring will be increased to $250. Fees guaranteed by IHSA to sectional hosts which use computerized scoring will be increased to $325.

  2. Tabled a recommendation to award a fourth place trophy at the boys and girls state final meets. The Board has already instructed the IHSA staff to review all state series awards, and this recommendation will be part of the overall review.

  3. Did not approve recommendations to use pre-season polls to seed the top 10 rated schools and distribute the assignment of the ranked schools into the regionals geographically. The recommendations were for Class A and Class AA boys and girls state series.

Boys/Girls Golf

  1. Approved a plan for an on-course playoff procedure to break ties for the individual qualifying spots from the boys Class A sectionals to the state final tournament(s), and delayed action for Class AA pending responses to a survey currently being conducted and then finalization of a recommendation by the advisory committee.

  2. Tabled recommendations to increase the number of individual and team awards in boys and girls golf to: a) From 5 to 10 individual medals at the regionals and sectionals; b) From 10 to 15 individual medallions at the state finals; c) create a medallion to award to the player from one of the competing teams who did not qualify for the individual competition but who carded the best two-day score at the state final; d) increase the team trophies awarded at the state final to four. The Board has already instructed the IHSA staff to review all state series awards, and this recommendation will be part of the overall
review.

Boys/Girls Tennis

  1. Did not approve a recommendation in boys and girls tennis to add a substitution procedure in singles for the teams winning the sectionals. Currently, there is a substitution procedure for doubles.

  2. Approved a recommendation in boys and girls tennis which will award two (2) team points for a first round doubles win at both the sectional and state final.

  3. Approved a recommendation in boys and girls tennis to allow for four (4), five (5) or six (6) individual players and double teams to be seeded at the sectional seeding meeting.

  4. Approved a recommendation in boys and girls tennis to allow for a ten (10) minute break in between the second and third sets of a match at the sectionals and state final. Previously, there was provision for a five-minute break in boys tennis and no break in girls tennis. The 10-minute break is consistent with USTA guidelines.

  5. Approved a recommendation in boys and girls tennis to restrict participants to wear school uniform/apparel or the State Final apparel in the 1999 boys and girls state series and that team uniforms will be required in the boys and girls state series beginning in calendar year 2000.

Boys/Girls Volleyball

  1. Approved seeding and hosting recommendations for the Class A and Class AA girls series. In Class A, the top four (4) seeds in the sectional will be assigned to one of the four correlated regionals, and the remainder of schools in the sectional will be assigned geographically to the four correlated regionals. In Class AA, all teams assigned to a sectional complex will be seeded and paired according to seed. The top four (4) seeds in each sectional host the four (4) correlated regionals, unless the top-seeded school(s) cannot host. If a top-seeded school cannot host, the next seeded team(s) will be given the opportunity to host.

  2. Approved a recommendation in Class A girls volleyball to play the regional preliminary and quarterfinal round matches on the Tuesday of regional week, the semifinals on Thursday and the finals on Saturday.

  3. Approved a recommendation in Class AA girls volleyball to play the regional semifinals on Tuesday and the finals on Thursday. If regional preliminary matches are required, they will be played on Monday of regional week at the highest seed.

  4. Approved recommendations in boys volleyball and Class AA girls volleyball to revise the time schedule at the regionals and sectionals to accommodate the highest seeded team playing at the preferred playing time. In a three-match format, the highest seed would play in the 6:30 p.m. match, the second highest seed in the 5:30 match and the lowest seed in the 7:30 match. In two-match formats, the highest seed would play at 5:30 p.m. and the lowest seed at 6:30.

  5. Did not approve a recommendation in boys and girls volleyball to penalize a school assigned to host for unauthorized changes or noncompliance with scheduling. The recommended penalty was a three-year ban on hosting.

  6. Did not approve a recommendation in girls volleyball to increase the sectional hospitality expense allotment.

Officials

  1. Approved a recommendation requiring all officials working a varsity contest in the regular season and the state series to provide the coaches of the competing teams with their name and official's identification number. The officials rating system now in place requires coaches to rate the officials following every game.

  2. Tabled action on an overall State Series Fee Schedule until the February, 1999, meeting. The advisory committee has put together a comprehensive pay plan which affects all athletic state series in which licensed officials are used.

Authenticating Mark Action

The Board voted to delay IHSA member schools' compliance with a NFHS mandate appearing in the rule books requiring that the NFSA "authenticating mark" appear on all balls and hockey pucks starting next school year. The Board voted to delay implementation at any level (varsity, jayvee, etc.) until no earlier than the 2000-2001 school year.

The NFHS has instituted a program beginning with the 1999-2000 school term requiring an authenticating mark on balls and hockey pucks used in interscholastic competition. IHSA uses the NFHS playing rules. The Board took its action to delay compliance after lengthy discussion of questions regarding the program raised in the January Athletic Administrator's Advisory Committee meeting, and by IHSA staff. Among the areas of discussion were concerns about the availability of balls with the proper marks, at what levels of competition must the balls be used, educating the officials and coaches of the sports in which the balls are used, and other compliance concerns.

Without the Board's action, the authenticating mark would have been required for IHSA member school competition in baseball, basketball, football, soccer, softball and volleyball next school term. Budget writing and purchasing for the new school term is now getting under way.

Other Action

  1. Approved dates for the 1999-2000 school term Board of Directors meetings. Next term's meetings will be July 18-20, Aug. 12, Sept. 13, Oct. 13, Dec. 6, Jan. 24, Feb. 28, March 27, May 2, June 7.

  2. Voted to create an ad hoc committee to review classification in boys and girls basketball. The ad hoc basketball committee will include current members of the Basketball Advisory Committee and seven other members, each representing a Board division. The Board authorized the ad hoc committee to meet April 6 in conjunction with the regularly scheduled basketball advisory committee meeting.

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, 1999, agenda:

Staff Insurance: The Board discussed a concept to provide supplemental health insurance to IHSA staff who retire prior to becoming eligible for Medicare.