FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 26, 2005


Board approves overhaul to open facilities policy, offseason participation guidelines

GAINESVILLE – The Florida High School Athletic Association Board of Directors today gave approval to overhaul the "Open Facilities Program Guidelines" and "Off-Season Participation Guidelines," as well as implement a new "Off-Season Conditioning Policy" effective with the 2006-07 school year.

"I'd like to give a tremendous commendation to FHSAA Associate Commissioner Bill Grey, GMAC Executive Secretary Cheryl Golden and their committee of athletic directors for addressing this complex issue," said Commissioner John A. Stewart. "They took concerns from all quarters in search of a resolution and came up with a well-executed plan. We hope now that the Representative Assembly will approve the bylaw change necessary to go ahead with the policies."

In other action, the Board of Directors:

• Reaffirmed the "Administrative Guidelines, Regulations, Policies and Procedures" of the FHSAA Board of Directors for the 2005-06 year as printed in the 2005-06 FHSAA Handbook.

• Endorsed a bylaw proposal to regulate the succession of the presidency and vice-presidency of the Board of Directors.

• Approved amendments to the "Pass Policy for State Series Events" and the "Policy on Crowd Control" to allow visiting school-based administrators to enter a regular season or state series contest without charge to assist with crowd control.

• Affirmed the emergency provisions relative to the FHSAA eligibility rules enacted by the Commissioner to accommodate students displaced from other states by Hurricane Katrina.

• Gave final approval for the operating budgets for the FHSAA and the Land Corporation for 2005-06.

• Approved a recommendation from the Tennis Advisory Committee to delete the regulation prohibiting caps, hats and visors from being worn backward.

• Approved a recommendation from the Tennis Advisory Committee to establish a 10-point tie-break instead of a seven-point tie-break during the final set when facilities or time is a factor.

• Approved a recommendation from the Track & Field Advisory Committee to revise current participation limits to state that a student-athlete may participate in a maximum of four (rather than five) events, of which not more than three may be running events.

• Approved a recommendation from the Track & Field Advisory Committee to establish $50 per meet plus 60 cents per mile one way as the maximum fees to be paid an FHSAA-registered meet referee officiating a regional meet. The Commissioner, upon request, may continue to waive the requirement that a registered official be used.

• Approved a recommendation from the Track & Field Advisory Committee to award ribbons to the first eight places in district and regional meets.

• Approved a recommendation from the Track & Field Advisory Committee to modify the language in the FHSAA Track & Field manual to reflect that singlets are allowed. Team members participating in the same event must have matching, identical track & field uniforms.

• Approved a recommendation from the Weightlifting Advisory Committee to impose a $50 fine for coaches not attending the pre-meet coaches meeting at the FHSAA Finals.

• Tabled a recommendation from the Baseball Advisory Committee to amend existing season limitations to permit a maximum of 25 playing dates rather than a maximum of 25 games. A maximum of three (3) doubleheaders may be played only on dates when there is no school the next day. Every day a team plays in a tournament shall count toward its maximum limit of 25 playing dates.

• Tabled a recommendation from the Baseball Advisory Committee that the district and region tournaments shall be played in a double-elimination format with only the district champion advancing to the regional tournament.

• Heard a report on the comprehensive revision of the FHSAA residence and transfer bylaws.

• Heard a report on the status of lacrosse, which will remain a recognized sport without an invitational state championship for the 2005-06 school year due to an insufficient number of schools sponsoring an interscholastic team.

The Florida High School Athletic Association is the governing body for interscholastic athletic competition in Florida. It has a membership of more than 700 middle, junior and senior high schools.

The FHSAA Board of Directors is the executive authority of the Association, establishing guidelines, regulations, policies and procedures within the framework of the Association’s bylaws. The Board of Directors also has the sole authority over all terms and conditions of participation and competition in the FHSAA state championship series. The Board of Directors meets five times annually. Its next meeting is Nov. 20-21, 2005 at the Robert W. Hughes FHSAA Building in Gainesville.

Contact:
Jack Watford
Director of Communications, FHSAA
(352) 372-9551 ext. 170
jwatford@fhsaa.org