04/04/16 – Reminders About Spring Football Practice and Rest of School Year

April 4, 2016 Football Blog Updates

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With more than 80 percent of our football schools setting their practice window for the Monday following spring break, it seems timely to remind every about the rules on practice and equipment. There are no changes for 2016 as these changes were adopted prior to the 2015 season.

The published spring football dates are online as always, located at http://khsaa.org/football/2016/springpractice2016.pdf. There are no provisions to change submitted dates (only in an emergency request from school administration). Per the bylaw, the only change permitted is to start the three-week (19-day) window on the Monday following the ORIGINAL published spring break week. Remember, scheduling of spring practice is a calendar function NOT a coach function, it is possible that with coaching changes, spring practice may not be an option at a specific school.

1. Spring practice is the only option to utilize all of the football equipment for the players. Formal spring practice per the listed dates is the only off-season activity until July 10 for which the KHSAA Catastrophic Insurance is in place.
2. The timeline of spring practice is not specifically structured. Read below for the details:
3. (1) A school may conduct ten (10) spring practice periods of not more than two (2) hours in length and not more than one practice per day over ten (10) days during three consecutive calendar weeks, which shall be chosen by the school on or before December 15;
   (2) Failure to submit the schedule by December 15 will result in a loss of the ability to conduct spring football practice. 
   (3) The three consecutive calendar weeks shall not begin prior to the Monday following the school’s elimination from postseason play in basketball, and shall not conclude later than the last day of school on the original school calendar. 
   (4) Any period of time when school is not in session on a weekday, including testing and breaks, shall not count as one of the ten (10) permitted days, and practice shall not be conducted on those days. 
   (5) All equipment authorized by the football playing rules may be used during this period. 
   (6) There shall be no interscholastic competition during this period, and all participants shall be eligible according to all KHSAA eligibility rules. 
   (7) Once dates are established by the school, the dates shall not be changed except by request of the member school Principal, and only if the newly requested period begins not later than the Monday following the conclusions of the originally scheduled school spring break. 
   (8) Practice sessions shall conform to the following rotation of types of practice:
   a. Two days Non-Contact (0-“Air”, 1-“Bags”, 2-“Control”);
   b. Two days Contact (3-“Thud”, 4-“Live Action”);
   c. One day Non-Contact (0-“Air”, 1-“Bags”, 2-“Control”);
   d. Two days Contact (3-“Thud”, 4-“Live Action”);
   e. One day Non-Contact (0-“Air”, 1-Bags, 2-“Control”); and
   f. Two days Contact (3-“Thud”, 4-“Live Action”).
   (9) A student below grade nine or in grade 12 shall not participate; 
   (10) Only students currently eligible by all KHSAA rules including Bylaws 2 through 12 may participate; 
   (11) Intrasquad games may be held but shall be counted as one of the ten practice sessions; and 
   (12) Any student who has neither participated in organized competition in a KHSAA sanctioned winter or spring sport, nor has documentation of supervision by a coach qualified under Bylaw 25 in a minimum of 8 conditioning workouts after the previous season and before the start of spring practice (including competition on a competitive weightlifting team at the school), shall have two (2) days of practice in helmets only and two (2) additional days in shells (helmets and shoulder pads) for acclimation prior to wearing the remainder of the allowable football gear;
   (13) There shall be no mandatory participation (including school or coach imposed penalty) by any person on a spring sports eligibility list (or entering any spring sports scrimmage or contest) or any other student desiring not to participate.
4. Spring practice is NOT required of any school.
5. If a school is not having spring practice, or after spring practice has concluded, the school may issue a helmet solely for protection during unofficial “open field” types of activity on the school campus, and the helmet may not be issued if anyone from any other school is involved.
6. The helmet may not be issued for use by students in outside leagues or competitions (such as 7 on 7) regardless of where the competition is held.
7. Remember that the entire regulation for the issuance of equipment is located in Bylaw 23.
8. Once the formal spring practice has concluded, there are no opportunities for full pad activity until the acclimation and acclimatization periods have completed during fall practice as detailed in the bylaw.
9. No football gear as defined in NFHS rule 1-5 (including shoulder pads and other protective gear) may be issued for any event involving any person not enrolled at that school that is held at a KHSAA member school or at a facility utilized for games by a member school except for the all-star game/individual camp exception detailed above. This includes camps sponsored by outside entities if a member school’s coaches are present or any equipment is issued to participants.
10. There is no opportunity for any team activity in football gear at camps where representatives of any other school are present except for the noncontact game simulations as detailed in Bylaw 23 (7 on 7). There is no allowance for full contact camps for teams or issuing other equipment to individuals except as detailed in the all-star game/individual camp exception (which was at the conclusion of the previous season)

Best of luck to all member schools and their participants.

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