August 17, 2020 at 10:16 a.m.
WIAA defines alternate fall sports season
Traditional fall season still on, winter and spring seasons shortened
WIAA defines alternate fall sports season
Schools wishing to participate in a traditional fall sports season may still do so. Practice for low-risk sports began yesterday and practice for high-risk sports, including football, boys' soccer and volleyball, will start Sept. 7.
The board established the parameters and context of the alternate fall season with seven weeks of competition in the spring. Football programs unable to start or complete 50 percent of the fall season, including games and practices, are eligible for a prorated alternate season. Other fall sports unable to start or complete 50 percent of the fall season, including games and practices, are eligible for a complete alternate season. Fall sports programs exceeding 50 percent of their seasons will be considered a completed season.
For planning and scheduling purposes, schools will be required to initially declare by Sept. 1 if they plan to participate in the traditional fall season or the alternate fall season in the spring.
Athletic directors at member schools will receive an email with a link to the online form to declare their intentions. The revised sports calendar replaces the existing 2020-21 season calendars and identifies - in addition to an alternate fall season in the spring with seven weeks of competition - a period of no coaching contact prior to the start of the respective sport seasons; an acclimatization or practice period before the first allowed competition; and the designated number of weeks for the winter and spring seasons, including any culminating event. The Board acknowledges all schedules are subject to change if conditions warrant in accordance with local, state and national health guidelines.
The revised calendar emphasizes the board's position to accommodate all the sport seasons in 2020-21 with the knowledge a number of member schools having already determined interscholastic activities are not able to be conducted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The board also addressed a number of other rules and regulations to be modified or suspended in 2020-21 to provide flexibility to members and licensed officials during the pandemic.
* If tournament series are conducted, regional groupings will be implemented (four teams in football).
* All minimum number of contests requirement for tournament eligibility will be suspended in 2020-21.
* All tournament series seeding will be conducted virtually in 2020-21.
* All nonborder out-of-state competitions or practices are strongly discouraged.
* All multiple-team events from outside a host's region is strongly discouraged.
* Co-op programs that include schools that are unable to participate in activities during 2020-21 may seek other co-op partners to provide opportunities for participation.
* With conference approval, schools whose conference has canceled sports in 2020-21 may seek schedule relief with other conferences as an independent without sanctions or going through the prescribed conference realignment process.
* For 2020-21, programs may schedule contests after they are eliminated from the WIAA tournament or culminating event respective sport's revised season.
* Schools that were unable to conduct their five unrestricted coaching contact days during the 2020 summer may schedule those days during the 2020-21 calendar provided there is one week of no contact prior to the start of the respective season. However, during the closed-session meeting, the board directed staff to have discussions on coaching contact during 2020-21 placed on the agenda of the September meeting.
* Licensed officials will not drop in classification in 2021-22 if they choose not to renew licensure or are unable to fill a varsity schedule. in 2020-21.
The board also determined student-athletes may compete in no more than two nonschool events with school approval during each regular sports season in 2020-21 only, which adopts the middle-level regulation. An event will be defined as a game or tournament.
The "Return to Fall Sports Considerations" was approved for distribution to the membership and for placement on the COVID-19 page of the WIAA website. Also passed was a recommendation to add language to the Code of Conduct section of the Rules of Eligibility, clarifying how schools respond to allegations of sexual harassment at school or at school-sponsored events.
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