Contact In High School Football Could Be Limited
Wednesday, June 25th, 2014 -- 10:26 AM
The Wisconsin Football Coaches Association and the WIAA are working together on a proposal that would limit the type and amount of contact allowed at practices both in the pre-season and during the year.According to Wissports.net, the proposal could be voted on at this Thursday's WIAA Board of Control meeting, or it could be tabled and sent through the WIAA's committee process for further examination and later brought to the Board.
With heightened understanding and sensitivity of concussions and contact injuries, all levels of football are taking steps to ensure the safety of athletes.
Neillsville first year coach Chris Poeschel said, "I think it is a smart plan. We are always thinking of the safety of the players who participate in our great sport of football and this is just another way to be proactive about safety."
WISCONSIN HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL CONTACT REGULATIONS
There are five basic types of contact:
Air ? Players should run unopposed without bags or any opposition.
Bags ? Activity is executed against a bag, shield, or pad to allow for a soft-contact surface, with or without the resistance of a teammate or coach holding the bag.
Wrap ? Drills run at full speed until contact, which is above the waist with the players remaining on their feet.
Thud ? Same as wrap but tempo is competitive with no pre-determined winner and the players are not tackling to the ground.
Live Competition or Full Contact ? Full contact is defined as football drills or live game simulations where live action occurs ? game speed where players execute full tackles at competitive pace taking players to the ground.
Note:
-THE FIRST THREE (Air, Bags and Wrap) HAVE NO RESTRICTIONS/LIMITATIONS!
-THE LAST TWO (Thud and Live Competition/Full Contact) HAVE WEEKLY TIME RESTRICTIONS/LIMITATIONS!
Limitations are the following:
Week 1 ?Air, Bags and Wrap Only (unlimited) following the Acclimatization Regulations (No Full Pads).
Week 2 ? Air, Bags and Wrap are unlimited. Thud and Live Competition/Full Contact are limited to 75 minutes for the week, besides your scrimmage with another team(s).
Week 3 and beyond - Air, Bags and Wrap are unlimited. Thud and Live Competition/Full Contact are limited to 60 minutes/week, excluding the amount of time you participate in games, which is a maximum of two games within a week (ex..JV & Varsity or Varsity & Varsity Reserve) which is the current regulation."
Thanks to Travis Wilson at wissports.net for this information.
Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.