2005-2006 Boys Football
Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes

December 8, 2005

The IHSA Boys Football Advisory Committee met at the IHSA Office, Bloomington, Illinois on Thursday, December 8, 2005, beginning at 10:00 a.m.  Committee members present were:  J. Randy Hofman, Richmond (R.-Burton); Kelly Kane, Streator (Twp.); Trent Purcell, Carlyle; Tim Racki, LaGrange Park (Nazareth Academy); Jeff Roper, Benton; Gary Tipsord, LeRoy; and Jim Unruh, Carthage.  Also in attendance were John Elder, Executive Secretary of the Illinois Coaches Association, and IHSA Assistant Executive Director Dave Gannaway.  Committee members Michael Holmes, Chicago (Fenger) and Otto Zeman, Riverside (R.-Brookfield) were unable to attend.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS RECOMMENDATIONS:

1.         ITEM I. CLASSIFICATION, C. Football Enrollment:

Recommendation:      The Committee would like to recommend that the football enrollment be reviewed after the vote is finalized on the by-law proposals.  Information is needed to study this issue, but until the school enrollment issue is resolved, the Committee felt they could not make a good recommendation on the football enrollment and would like to discuss this issue once the vote has been finalized.

Rationale:       This would allow for the Committee to meet together or via a conference call to review the football enrollment criteria after the vote of the member schools has been concluded.  The Committee could focus on the specific criteria for next year in relationship to the specific school enrollment that will be used for all schools.

Item 1 was not a Terms and Conditions Item

2.         ITEM VI. TOURNAMENT STRUCTURE AND TIME SCHEDULES, A. 1) Day and Times:

            Recommendation:      All Saturday games to be played between 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m.

Rationale:       This would give more time on Saturday to complete all games due to any weather related issues.

Rejected

3.         ITEM VI. TOURNAMENT STRUCTURE AND TIME SCHEDULES A. Day and Times:

            Recommendation:      Add 4) to A. Day and Times:, a tentative game schedule for all play-off   games to follow:

            a)         Have the National Anthem at 5:00 on the game clock (Band leaves field after the Anthem)

            b)         Coin Flip at 3:00 on the clock

            c)         Introductions at 1:00 on the clock

            d)         Kick-off

            Rationale:       This will give consistency for all play-off games prior to the state finals.  The state finals will be a little different because of TV.

Rejected

4.         ITEM IX. PLAYOFF POLICY, J. Bands:

            Recommendation:      Add another paragraph stating that the band not play during live ball situations.

Rationale:        There have been an increasing number of instances where the band(s) have continued to play while game play is started on the field.  It should be perfectly clear that all music needs to stop prior to the cadence that signals the snap of the ball.

Approved

ITEMS OF GENERAL DISCUSSION:

1.         The Committee recommended that the fans be allowed to come in and out at the state football finals in Champaign—buy a ticket for each day and allow the fans to come in and out the same day.  This would allow fans to see other games and not have to stay in the facility the entire day.  Fans would be able to go back to the school tent area to visit with their players after a game and then get back in to the next state final game.  The Committee felt that this was being done at the boys’ state basketball tournament, so it could be done at the state football play-offs.

2.         Discussion occurred on ambulances at home football games.  The Committee felt that the host school should be responsible for having a plan in place for all emergency situations and did not feel a need to mandate an ambulance to be on site at all football games.  They felt a person could get hurt just as easy at a practice as a game.

3.         Concern was given on the low blocking outside of the free blocking zone.  This needs to be addressed as a Point of Emphasis for next year.

The meeting adjourned at 1:35 p.m.