Illinois high school football practice begins Wednesday, August 14, 2013. All coaches will be required to follow new “regulations for safety and heat acclimatization” during these practices. In May 2013, the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Board of Directors approved changes to IHSA Policy 13, which governs practice regulations.
Dr. Preston M. Wolin, IHSA Sports Medicine Advisory Committee member and University of Illinois Associate Professor of Orthopedic Surgery, said, “These guidelines are based on the most recent scientific evidence, as well as the expertise of the coaches who will help implement them. [We] believe the guidelines represent a significant positive contribution to the health of our athletes.”
Key items in the policy include
- daily and weekly practice time limits for players during the acclimatization period
- required durations of rest between practices.
The policy also provides coaches with a day-by-day itinerary that outlines the practice limits and equipment allowed on each practice date.
“This new policy will undoubtedly change the way we, as coaches, approach preseason practice,” said Metamora High School Football Coach Pat Ryan, who is a member of the FAC and a past President of the Illinois High School Football Coaches Association. “Coaches are going to have to get more creative with when and how they schedule practices, as well what they do with their time. Next year’s by-law proposals are strongly supported by both committees and are a crucial final step to this process,….[T]hey will further aid us in being able to effectively prepare our teams in a safe manner. Change is always difficult, but the game is changing, and we need to adapt to continue to put the safety of our players first.”
The committees also support changes that could be approved by the IHSA member schools during the 2013-14 school year. These include
- moving up the start date for football practice two days from a Wednesday to a Monday
- eliminating live tackling during the summer contact period
- requiring schools to follow the day-by-day acclimatization schedule in Policy 13 during summer contact days.