07/07/2026- Additional Guidance for Minimizing Risk in Football Contract Practice Drills

July 7, 2026 Football Blog Updates

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Following more than two years of review, the National Federation of State High School Associations’ Sports Medicine Advisory Committee (NFHS SMAC) has issued a specific list of drills deemed to need elimination (where they are still being conducted) to further minimize risk during contact drills. Though most of these drills are no longer part of the vast majority of today’s practice sessions, this reminder is essential to ensure everyone is on the same page about minimizing risk during preseason and in-season training. We are thankful that coaches, athletic administrators and medical professionals from throughout the country were involved in this important review.

Please ensure this is circulated widely to all involved in high school practices and competition, as well as to related middle school coaches and those involved at that level.

The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Sports Medicine Advisory Committee (SMAC) has recommended that the following be distributed by member state associations to their member schools regarding football contact drills during practice. The intent of this guidance is to minimize risk and to reduce closing speeds in football contact drills and unnecessary helmet-to-helmet contact in football practice.

The following contact drills, if a part of workouts and practice, should be totally ELIMINATED: 

1. Any drill that promotes one-on-one tests of strength within an artificially confined area that does not permit the defensive player to angle their approach, shed the blocker, or take other evasive action;
2. Any Bull Rush when both the rusher and the blocker are aligned more than four yards apart in an effort to reduce closing speeds and unnecessary helmet contact;
3. Any full-speed head-on blocking or tackling drills in which the players line up more than four yards apart; and
4. Drills such as, but not limited to, Bull in the Ring/King of the Circle, Oklahoma Drill, Offensive Line/Defensive Line In-Line Run Blocking/Board-Drill, where there is a vertical push with the defensive player making no attempt to evade the block.

Distributed to the member schools of the KHSAA, including all football coaches, on 7/7/26 in a school year when official practice starts 7/10/26.

 

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