IHSA Announcements

June 14, 2004

3 New Board Members, 9th Administrative Staff Position Approved

Three vacancies were filled on the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Board of Directors Monday (June 14) at the regular monthly meeting, and the Board approved Susan M. Knoblauch as an eighth assistant executive director. Dr. Martin L. Hickman is Executive Director.

Named to the Board to serve until the annual election this fall were Dr. John McGraw of Tinley Park (H.S.) representing Division 3; Mike Kelly of Carlinville representing Division 6 and Melver Scott of Chicago (Crane) at-large representing minorities. McGraw replaces Board President Dr. Frank Stout of Summit (Argo) who will become the district's superintendent. Kelly replaces Jeff Whitsitt of Alexis who will become the district's superintendent. Scott replaces Dr. Diane Dyer-Dawson of Chicago (Collins) who is retiring.

Susan Knoblauch will join the administrative staff August 1, where she will be responsible for Music, Speech and Cheerleading among other duties. (See related story here.)

The Board also acted upon recommendations from 14 advisory committees, and tied up several loose ends.

Other Action

Budget: The Board approved the budget for the 2004-05 fiscal year. The budget reflects retirement of the mortgage on the IHSA Office expansion. It projects income of $6.5 million and expenses of $6.1 million.

Public/Private Task Force: The Board heard a progress report from Board member and task force chairman Joe Schlender. Members of the Task Force will be available to attend conference meetings to discuss the work of the Task Force. Conferences can request that members attend their meeting through either Mr. Schlender at Hoffman Estates (Conant) High School or through the IHSA Office.

Financial Aid Criteria Committee: The Board heard a progress report from Board member and committee chairman Dr. James Quaid.

Town Meeting Attendance: After receiving a report that 73 of the Association's 757 member schools were not represented at the required annual Town Meetings/Principals Rules Meetings and were now on probation, the Board voted to suspend from membership in IHSA any school not in compliance after a second straight absence. The suspension would begin Jan. 1 following the respective second missed meeting.

Golf Spectator Access: The Board voted to establish a busing system to transport spectators about the state final golf courses, and to allow managers of the regionals and sectionals to develop a similar system for their venues.

Non-Athletic Trophies: The Board voted to change the type of trophies used in the non-athletic events to the same trophy used in the athletic events effective with the 2004-05 (next) school term. The change will increase the trophy budget by approximately $6,000. The state series affected are Speech, Music, Chess and Scholastic Bowl.

Class AA Baseball Site: The Board voted to extend the contract for Elfstrom Stadium in Geneva one year. Because of a scheduling difficulty for the 2003 state final, Elfstrom Stadium was not the site of the Class AA Tournament. The extension gives the site the full five-year tenure that was awarded when it won the bid to serve as site for the large school tournament.

Administrative Staff Contracts: The Board approved a plan to provide three-year contracts to administrative staff members who have completed five or more years of employment. Previously, only the Executive Director received a multiple-year contract. Administrative staff members employed less than five years will receive one-year contracts until they have served five years.

NFHS Summer Meeting Attendance Policy: The Board approved a policy establishing guidelines for attendance by members of the Administrative Staff and Board of Directors at the annual National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Summer Meeting. Board members who are returning and Staff members who have served the previous school term will be eligible to attend the Summer Meeting. The Board will determine on an annual basis which staff and board members will attend the meeting.

Coop Term Limit Interpretation: The Board approved the following interpretation regarding the term limit of Cooperative Teams involving consolidation, etc.: “In the event of consolidation, annexation, or deactivation, a coop agreement among schools will cease to exist. In such an event the consolidation, annexation, or deactivation will supersede the coop agreement. The remaining school(s) will be allowed to enter into a new coop agreement with a new district, even if their former agreement had not expired.”

Policy for Girls on Boys Teams: The Board approved revisions in the IHSA Policy for Girls on Boys Teams (see below)

Journalism Advisory Committee: The Board authorized the staff to appoint a Journalism Advisory Committee for the 2004-05 school term.

Advisory Committee Recommendations

The Board acted on recommendations from 14 Advisory Committees at its regular meeting Monday.

“Our advisory committees meet on an annual basis, usually soon after the completion of the state series in that sport or activity,” said IHSA Executive Director Dr. Martin L. Hickman. “Each advisory committee assesses the terms and conditions for its state tournament series, and all other facets of the sport or activity which may apply to the site of its state final event, and which may apply during the regular season. The advisory committees that address areas of IHSA operation other than a respective state series also meet annually to make recommendations regarding their specific charge.”

Following is a recap of Board action regarding each of the committee reports and Terms and Conditions recommendations:

Athletic Administrators

1. Received the report of its meeting and approved several recommendations the committee made regarding proposals from the sport/activity advisory committees. The recommendations are reflected in Board action regarding the sports/activity advisory committees.

Boys/Girls Basketball

1. Approved a recommendation in girls basketball that Class A and AA Regional games shall be held on Monday through Friday nights. This will provide that no team will be required to play on three (3) successive nights. It will allow the Regional championship games to be played on Thursday or Friday nights.
    
2. Approved a recommendation in boys/girls basketball that stipulates it is the responsibility of each competing school in the state series to complete a season results form prior to its seeding meeting. The school must fax the form to their sectional manager no later than 10 a.m. on the Thursday prior to their scheduled seeding meeting.
    
3. Approved a recommendation in boys/girls basketball that a maximum of 12 cheerleaders and one (1) mascot in costume may be on the floor at any state series contest.
    
4. Tabled a recommendation in boys/girls basketball that in order to maintain the integrity of the playing surface and protect competitors, local managers of the state series contests will create a safe zone along each baseline that will be devoid of any persons (such as cheerleaders or media personnel) or other obstructions. This safe area will extend three (3) feet from the baseline towards the facility's back wall, stage, or bleachers and shall include the 12 foot area located across the free throw lane extended plus seven (7) additional feet on each side of the lane extended. This 26-foot area shall also extend back a minimum of three feet from the baseline towards the facility's back wall, stage, or bleachers. 
    
5. Approved a recommendation in boys basketball that will allow the coaches at the seeding meetings to nominate the Slam Dunk competitors from their respective sub-sectional. The top two (2) ranked nominees will represent the sub-sectional complex, and the next two (2) in ranked order will be eligible to be named as alternates. Each sub-sectional will supply the IHSA Office with the names of the two (2) nominees to represent the sub-sectional, and in ranked order the two (2) others eligible to be named as alternates.
    
6. Approved a recommendation for boys/girls basketball that the Mercy Rule employed in Illinois during the 2003-04 season be extended to include any regular season contest or regular season tournament in 2004-05.

Boys/Girls Bowling

1. Approved a recommendation in boys/girls bowling for team's lane rotations during the boys and girls state finals. Teams will be assigned their first round lanes based on their season seeds. Following the first game and every game thereafter, teams will rotate within a block of 6 lanes. Teams assigned to the even numbered lanes will move one pair (2 lanes), in the same block, to the right. Teams assigned to the odd numbered lanes will move one pair (2 lanes), in the same block, to the left. In the Friday afternoon session, teams will not be reseeded and will bowl on the same pair (2 lanes) they bowled on for game 1 in the morning with their 4th game beginning on the opposite lane they started on in the morning. On Saturday for the morning and afternoon sessions, teams will be placed in lanes based on their state final scores. The same rotation in a block of 6 will be used.
    
2. Approved a recommendation in boys/girls bowling for an individual's lane rotation during the boys and girls state finals. Individuals will be assigned their first round lanes based on the luck of the draw. Following the first game, individuals will alternate one pair (2 lanes) within their block of 4.In the Friday afternoon session, individuals will not be reseeded and will bowl on the same pair (2 lanes) they bowled on for game 1 in the morning with their 4th game beginning on the opposite lane they started on in the morning. On Saturday's morning session, the 20 individual bowlers will be placed in their lanes based on their state final scores and continue to alternate within their block. On Saturday afternoon session, 10 individual bowlers will remain on the same pair of lanes they bowled on in the morning session.
    
3. Approved a recommendation in boys/girls bowling for team sectional lane rotation. At the sectional, teams will be assigned lanes for round 1 based on the team seed score. After each game teams on odd numbered lanes will move one pair (two lanes) left and teams on the even numbered lanes will move right one pair (2 lanes). After lunch teams will continue to move in this fashion for three more games starting on the lane they would move to after the third game.

Example: At a twelve-lane house with 12 teams the number 1 seed will start on lane 7. Game two that team will go to lane 5, game three to lane 3. After lunch that team will continue on lane 1, game five on lane 11, game 6 on lane 9. For uneven sectionals this works the same way. The "blind" team will advance in the same fashion as the others. Below is a sample twelve-team sectional rotation schedule:

12 Team Lane Rotations

16 Team Lane Rotations

If there are only 11/15 teams replace the 12th/16th seed with the blind team.

3. Approved a recommendation in boys/girls bowling for ball certification. All bowling balls must meet ABC/WIBC specifications. Bowling balls must be certified by each school program and have on hand the certification document during the state final competition. Additional bowling balls may be certified and added to the form during the state final competition. Any bowling ball that does not meet the specifications will be removed from the competition and impounded for the remainder of the tournament. If it is to be shown that the bowler had prior knowledge of not meeting the specifications, the bowler will be subject to forfeiting.
    
4. Approved a recommendation in boys/girls bowling that between games or during competition, altering the surface of the bowling ball by the use of abrasives be prohibited. Scuff pads, sandpaper or comet based cleansers are considered abrasive agents. Between any round (after 3 games) the surface of the bowling ball may be altered using abrasive agents or polishing products. Approved cleaning products may be used at any time. Cleaning products include ball polishing machines, Luster King, ball spinners and/or isopropyl rubbing alcohol.
    
5. Approved a recommendation in boys/girls bowling to reduce the time for warm-up periods at the sectional and state final in the following format: 15 minutes be allowed for practice balls at the sectional and state final tournaments with seven and one half minutes on one lane and seven and one half minutes on the other lane will be allowed.
    
6. Approved recommendations in boys/girls bowling to open the doors Saturday of the state final 15 minutes earlier. Introductions will begin at 8:20 a.m. and the warm-ups for the Third Round will begin at 8:30 a.m. Fourth Round warm-ups will start at 12:30 p.m. the Saturday State Final Time Schedule.
    
7. Approved a recommendation in boys/girls bowling that the rules of play be those of the ABC/WIBC/YABA.
    
8. Approved a recommendation in boys/girls bowling that at the Sectionals, the lanes are oiled with a house league /house shot condition.
    
9. Approved a recommendation in boys/girls bowling that in addition to the $100.00 penalty for by-law 6.041, breach of contract, that lane fees be included as part of the financial loss of the host site.

Boys/Girls Soccer

1. Tabled a recommendation to change the Classification System Policy for soccer to provide a system that puts schools with both a boys and girls program in the same class.
    
2. Approved a change in the boys/girls soccer state final quarterfinal time schedule to have the games at 11:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m., 4:00 p.m. and 6p.m.
    
3. Approved a recommendation in boys/girls soccer that allows a school to designate its 22 players for each game instead of for each level in the state series.
    
4. Approved a recommendation in boys/girls soccer that allows schools to substitute persons on their team rosters for any reason and at any time between games throughout the state series provided all substitutes meet IHSA eligibility requirements.
    
5. Approved a recommendation that a maximum of 12 cheerleaders and one (1) mascot in costume may be on the sideline at any state series contest.
    

Boys/Girls Swimming and Diving

1. Approved recommendations in boys/girls swimming to have two different Relay Cards for the coaches to fill out, one with 6 spaces and one with 8 spaces. Only the 200-medley relay allows four (4) alternates.
    
2. Approved a recommendation in boys swimming qualifying standard in the 400-Yard Freestyle Relay to 3:19.99
    
3. Approved recommend changes in the girls swimming qualifying standards as follows: 200-Yard Individual Medley to 2:13.99; 200-Yard Medley Relay to 1:52.69; 50-Yard Freestyle change to :24.99
    
4. Approved a recommendation to modify the ticket purchasing procedure for the state final in boys/girls swimming. Schools will not fax the special ticket order form to the host site and bring payment to pick up the tickets.
    
5. Did not approve a recommendation to bring at large swimmers to fill the empty lanes at the state final with the next fastest times from all sectionals.

Boys Wrestling

1. Did not approve a recommendation that the Bod-Pod be approved as a method for appealing body fat test results.
    
2. Approved a recommendation that the Refractometer be allowed to determine if a wrestler passes the hydration test.
    
3. Approved a recommendation that the certified body fat testers be re-certified yearly, and that a re-certification process be developed.
    
4. Approved a recommendation that skin fold testing must occur immediately following the Urine Specific Gravity Test without delay and without working out.
    
5. Approved a recommendation that the IHSA Board of Directors review the Classification Policy.The Wrestling Advisory Committee would like to look at three classes, but the existing policy does not allow for this.
    
6. Approved a recommendation that an extra coach's pass be given to schools that qualify five or more wrestlers.
    
7. Did not approve a recommendation that that fourth place finisher in the sectional advance to the state final.
    
8. Did not approve a recommendation that the wrestling state series be conducted under the sectional complex format.

Chess 

1. Approved a recommendation that starting with the 2005-06 season, in order to participate in the IHSA Chess Team State Tournament, a team must have participated in at least one team tournament involving at least four teams. 
    
2. Approved a recommendation to pair the teams at the state final by dividing the top 48 ranked teams into 8 groups of six, rank-ordering the first group of six, and drawing by lot for a pairing number in the remaining groups. 
    
3. Approved a recommendation that in the event that more than 128 teams are to be paired, the Sixths Acceleration Method will be used. 
    
4. Approved a recommendation for breaking ties as follows: For each team played, multiply a team's match points plus ten (10) points, by the square of the match points received in the tournament plus one (1) point, divided by one hundred (100); then add these points for each round played in the tournament. 
    
5. Approved a recommendation that individual awards will be presented to players on Boards 2 through 8 who have a score at least six points and are undefeated. This change rewards players on lower boards who make it through the tournament without a loss. 
    
6. Approved a recommendation that ties for individual places will be broken according to the following tie-breakers, applied in this order: modified median, Solkoff, cumulative, and opponents' cumulative. 
    
7. Approved a recommendation that food or drink will not be permitted in the playing area, except for bottled water, which may be consumed, but not placed on the playing table. 
    
8. Approved a recommendation to limit the use of cell phones and headphones in the following manner: A cell phone that goes off in the playing area will result in the loss of team tie-break points. A cell phone that appears to be in use may result in forfeiture of the game. No headphones of any type may be worn in the playing area. 

Equity

1. Approved a recommendation that the affirmative action policy for boys on girls' teams be reviewed to reflect a format that has a distinct Rationale section, Policy section, Procedures section, Penalties section, Illustration section, and Historical Perspective section. It is further recommended that the policy include language that is more usable. It is also recommended that the ISBE forms be provided online through the IHSA for ease of processing the request.
    
2. Approved a recommendation that as part of the C