IHSA

IHSA Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes - 2005-06

Girls Softball Advisory Committee

September 1, 2006

The IHSA Girls Softball Advisory Committee met at the IHSA Office, Bloomington, Illinois, on Wednesday, August 30, 2006, beginning at 10:00 a.m. Committee members present were: Lori Blade, Edwardville (H.S.), Tom Eder, Normal (Community West), Barry Gurvey, Grayslake (North), Dan Hutchings, Coal City, Christopher Smith, Macomb and Bret Tuetken, Hillsboro. Assistant Executive Director Kurt Gibson and State Final Manager Debi Neff, East Peoria (H.S.) were also in attendance. Committee members Leanne Bonifas, Bartonville (Limestone) and Julie Heintz, Chicago (St. Francis de Sales), were unable to attend.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS RECOMMENDATIONS:

1. ItemVI - C (2) - Time Schedule

Recommendation: Starting times for regional quarterfinal games will be 4:30 p.m., unless the contest host has requested, and been approved for, a different start time from the IHSA Office. Starting times for all other Regional, Sectional, and Super-sectional tournament games shall be announced by the local manager, although no game in any of the afore-mentioned tournaments should be played during school hours. The following starting times are recommended to local managers: 4:30 p.m. for afternoon games, 7:00 p.m. for night games, and 11:00 a.m. for Saturday games.

Note: the bolded information is the recommendation; the remainder, while rewritten, is the same information currently in the T/C’s.

Rationale: This recommendation provides for a consistent starting time for all regional quarterfinal contests. In the current format, quarterfinal hosts regularly do not communicate the start time of their contest to the IHSA, often because they are unaware they need to select a starting time. This recommendation would eliminate that need and make for easier administration of the tournament. In recommending the change for Saturday starting times from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., the committee cited the potential for excessive travel by competing teams as a reason for recommending a later starting time for Saturday contests.

Approved by consent

2. Add Item VI - C (3) - Time Schedule

Recommendation: If a Regional or Sectional host has the facilities, they may request to host the Regional or Sectional semi-finals in a single session. The request must be made in advance of the start of the state series to the IHSA. If approved, the double-header must be played on the first scheduled day of semi-final play in the respective tournament.

Note: this recommendation, if approved, would move the current VI. C. 3 to VI. C. 4.

Rationale: This recommendation would be consistent with the approach used by the IHSA in other sports. By requiring the semi-final doubleheader to be played on the first day of Regional or Sectional play, an additional rain date would be built into the playing schedule, thereby increasing the likelihood the tournament would be completed on time.

Approved by consent

Administrative Recommendations

1. Eliminate the Hitting Derby.

Rationale: Participation in the Hitting Derby has waned significantly over the past few years at both the Sectional and State Finals. Schools are refusing to host Sectional tournaments because of the extra work that goes into hosting a Hitting Derby. Contestants are entered while the school season is being played, but once a school is eliminated in the state series, contestants withdraw from the Hitting Derby in order to play with their summer teams.

Approved the elimination of the Boys Baseball and Girls Softball hitting derby.

2. The committee recommends, that in accordance with provisions set forth by the NFHS concerning rules for state adoption, the following adoption be used for rule 4-2-6:

For those conferences that wish to employ a tie-breaking procedure in conference games only, the International Tie-Breaker can be used after the completion of the 10th inning.
Regular season tournaments that wish to employ a tie-breaking procedure in conference games only, the International Tie-Breaker can be used after the completion of the 10th inning.
Non-conference games may elect to use the International Tie-Breaker after the completion of the 10th inning, provided both teams have agreed to use the ITB prior to the contest.

Note: The bolded, shaded information is the recommendation; the remainder is currently in place after IHSA Board approval in October 2005.

Rationale: The committee felt that providing schools the option to use the International Tie-Breaker, if they choose to do so, in non-conference games was a natural extension of the recommendation from last year. This recommendation would not mandate the use of the ITB; it would simply provide schools the option of using it.

Approved to provide an option to use the International tie-breaker in regular season contests after the completion of the 10th inning.

Items of Discussion

1.             The committee reviewed rules changes for the 2006-07 season. Individuals interested in reviewing those, can do so by accessing NFHS | Softball Sports/Rules Information. While the initial reaction of the committee was that the changes should have minimal impact on play this year, Chris Smith shared some insight as to the effect the definition of “Confines of the field” may have. The committee also asked that particular emphasis be given to players intentionally removing lines in the batter’s box as a part of the rules interpretation meeting later this school term.
2.             The committee heard a report from state final manager Debi Neff on the 2006 state tournaments. Committee members commented on the continued efforts of East Peoria High School and EastSide Centre to put on a first class event for all competitors and fans.
3.             The committee heard a report from IHSA administrative staff concerning an on-line seeding experiment to be conducted this year by the association. As a part of the experiment, two to be determined sectionals will seed the teams assigned to their sectional complex in advance of the seeding meeting on-line and then again at the regularly scheduled meeting. This experiment is part of sub-committee work conducted last spring following the IHSA’s school survey.
4.             The committee heard a report from IHSA administrative staff concerning class expansion in girls’ softball, which is scheduled for implementation with the start of the 2007-08 school term.
5.             The committee discussed a proposal from Bob Grimes, head softball coach at Normal (Community) High School, concerning drafting a rules change proposal to allow schools to use bat warmers during contests. After reviewing the request, the committee took no action to draft any such proposal.
6.             The committee also discussed the following topics, with no action being taken on any of them:
                        a.     Moving seeding meetings back to allow schools to play more games before seeding.
                        b.     Developing a seeding process that would allow true seeds to play out in more densely populated areas while keeping the current system in place for sectional complexes that are more spread out.
                        c.     Providing more communication to schools about the reason for conducting seeding meetings on the night currently being employed.
                        d.     The process used by IHSA staff in making post-season officials assignments.
                        e.     Penalizing coaches who don’t attend seeding meetings.
                        f.     Allowing teams to huddle on the field during contests to provide a coaching opportunity to schools.
                        g.     Using both the ratings system and Special Reports to report items of concern to the IHSA Office.
                        h.     Developing information concerning lightning safety that can be shared at IHSA rules interpretation meetings.
                        i.      The process required to reduce the number of summer contact days allowed for IHSA member schools.