Significant WIAA rule changes will be voted on next week

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The Washington Interscholastic Athletic Association’s Representative Assembly will choose fate of interesting proposals

 

Next week the Washington Interscholastic Athletic Association’s 2017 Representative Assembly is set to vote on a series of rule changes for all prep sports across the state. 

In total there are 22 new amendments (some of which are also for middle school sports) and while most would be relatively minor new rules, there are a few that will be on the voting sheets that are significant.

The Representative Assembly comprises of 53 total members — 18 middle level members and 35 high school members. The amendments they vote on come from three sources: a collaborative proposal sponsored by a minimum of five member schools, the WIAA Executive Board which includes work from standing WIAA committees, and the Washington State School Directors Association Interscholastic Activities Committee.

For an amendment to pass a 60 percent "yes" vote is needed. The voting will be conducted from April 28 to May 5.

To see all 22 of the proposals go to WIAA.com > about > Representative Assembly > proposed amendments. Below is a look at three The Reflector believes would have the biggest impacts on school team athletics locally and statewide if approved next week.

Pitchers and catchers could practice early

Just like in Major League Baseball, there are two proposals on the ballot that would allow baseball and softball pitchers and catchers to report early before the rest of the team (both proposals have the same wording for each sport). 

The proposals state players who play those positions would be allowed two weeks of advanced practice time. 

The biggest supportive reasoning behind these amendments is that pitchers would get additional time to properly get their arms in shape before the first contest. Another reason put forward by proponents of the amendment is many high school teams lack depth at the pitching position, and it would allow coaches to develop more of them.

Possible negatives include that certain student-athletes would have to commit bonus time to the spring sport, and then there’s the possibility that some coaches would abuse the extra time and end up wearing out the pitchers before the season starts. 



The good news for this possible new rule is that at the high school level there’s at least some proof of concept. Oregon for example, adopted the idea two years ago.

Sixth graders could play middle school sports (except football)

In tons of middle schools sixth graders share a building with seventh and eighth graders but aren’t allowed to play sports alongside them. If this proposal passes they would be granted that opportunity, expect for in football. 

Submitters of the idea state that interscholastic activities are an integral part of the total education process and sixth graders are old enough to compete with kids two grades above them. The submitters also claim it is better to have the students involved in school programs when possible, rather than community programs.

One negative is that by adding sixth graders into tryouts, opportunities for less skilled seventh and eighth graders to play would become limited. A second negative is that giving sports eligibility to sixth graders could create budgetary issues for middle schools.

No summer football coaching limit

In Washington high school football there is a 20 day summer coaching limit, and amendment sponsors to this — one of which includes La Center — say that it should be deleted.

In the proposal the submitters write that football is the only program that has a practice limit attached to it during the summer. 

“Jurisdiction over programs held during the summer would be the same, regardless of the sport,” the proposed amendment states, if it were to pass.

Reasoning behind the existing limit stems from football being a complex and physical sport. On the negative side, unlimited practicing could result in more injuries.