07/11/16 – Important Reminders About the Start of Football Practice

July 11, 2016 Athletic Department Blog Updates

These reminders are critically important as we transition to the start of football practice for the 2016 season. This notice and all provisions supersede any and all previous communication regarding practice rules and regulations.

The following provisions should be noted at all times:

• The complete list of regulations including allowable activities can be found at http://khsaa.org/handbook/bylaws/20152016/bylaw23.pdf or at http://khsaa.org/bylaw-23-provisions-football-practice-regulations/ There are a few notes that all coaches and administrators should keep in mind:
• The first five days must be Level 0 and Level 1 only during acclimation and acclimatization and are limited to one three-hour session per day.
• Each player must have five days in helmets only before being able to add shoulder pads, and those pads cannot be added until July 22. Keep in mind this is a count for each player, not for the team, so players coming out late may be delayed in putting on shoulder pads (after July 21) or other gear (after July 31)
• Beginning on day 6, through July 21, only the helmet can be used but a second session can be held provided the total practice time does not exceed five hours.
• Non-contact simulations (7 on 7) and time to and from these simulations does NOT count against the five-hour limit.
• Other things that don’t count are listed in the bylaw such as water breaks, rest breaks, and injury treatment.

Pay attention to the bylaw as things change on July 22. Football practice is very detailed within the bylaw. Note each of the provisions. Remember that you chart each day and each practice on the require forms. 

Remember that you chart each day and each practice on the required form (FB135), and there is an optional form for overall compliance (FB137).  

• FB135 – A required form that allows coaches/administrators to log the actions at practice. It is on this form that schools can log the amount of contact (to enforce the 90-minute restriction on non-game days after the start of scrimmages), as well as the other contact and equipment restrictions. The form was also created to combine with the heat index form so that duplicate data didn’t need to be kept. This data (contact, etc.) must be maintained and this form allows a convenient one-stop location. Coaches should check with school and district administrators to ensure the desired method of data collection in that school/district. This form is located at http://www.khsaa.org/forms/fb135.docx (Word version) and http://www.khsaa.org/forms/fb135.pdf (PDF version). 
• FB137 – An optional form which may be used by schools and districts to ensure that coaches are aware of the football restrictions. The form allows for a preseason signature by the coaches (all coaches, head and assistant, paid or unpaid) verifying understanding of the USA Football definitions and contact restrictions. The form then also allows for a postseason signature indicated that the rules have been adhered to throughout the season. This form is located at http://www.khsaa.org/forms/fb137.docx (Word version) and http://www.khsaa.org/forms/fb137.pdf (PDF version). 
• FB136 – A required form for each contest (freshman, JV and varsity) indicated play by each player to monitor the restriction on quarters. Each player is limited to eight quarters per week in games, from Friday through the following Thursday, starting with the Friday of Week 0. If games have quarters that are six minutes or less, each quarter played counts as one-half of a quarter toward the eight-quarter limit. Any game with periods longer than six minutes counts as a full quarter for each quarter played. By rule, overtime is an extension of the 4th quarter and does not count as an additional period(s). This form is located athttp://www.khsaa.org/forms/fb136.docx (Word version) and http://www.khsaa.org/forms/fb136.pdf (PDF version). 

– KHSAA –

The KHSAA staff routinely publishes blog posts to better communicate with its various constituencies and the public. For a list of those blogs, go to http://khsaa.org/news-stats-pubs/sports-blogs/