Legislative Council preview: Vote on sanctioning of new sports, 6A football proposal among agenda highlights
CHSAA’s Legislative Council will vote next month on a jam-packed agenda, one that includes the potential sanctioning of three new sports.
The Council, which will meet on April 24 at the Denver Marriott Tech Center, is set to vote upon more than 60 bylaw proposals or committee reports.
The meeting will cover a wide variety of topics, touching on every sport and activity CHSAA sanctions, and hear proposals ranging from the transfer rule to the age rule.
Find the entire agenda, and all proposals, on this page.
Perhaps the most notable proposals are three separate votes on whether or not to sanction boys volleyball, unified bowling and girls wrestling. All three sports are currently in their pilot stages, and have cleared a number of stages with approval from various committees along the way.
Each sport has one major step remaining prior to the vote in April, however, and that is a vote by CHSAA’s Board of Directors next month. If approved there, they will officially be up for a sanctioning vote by the membership at the Legislative Council. Should the Board vote down any of the pilot sports, they would not be forwarded to the Legislative Council for a vote.
CHSAA has not added a new sport since field hockey, boys lacrosse and girls lacrosse were sanctioned in 1998-99.
If sanctioned, unified bowling would take place in the fall, girls wrestling would be a winter sport, and boys volleyball would be in the spring.
6A football proposal
The Continental League is forwarding a proposal to create an eighth class of football — Class 6A — something that is similar to an idea that discussed among large-school representatives in December.
This proposal would take the top eight teams in 5A according to the final RPI standings of the regular season, and place them in a 6A playoff bracket. Teams ranked Nos. 9-24 in the final RPI would create the 5A playoff bracket.
The current 5A conference alignment would remain the same, as the 6A classification would not be created until the postseason. The setup of the regular season would not change.
It is worth noting, however, that the football committee discussed this proposal and decided to not support it.
Because this proposal would amend the Classification and League Organizing Appeals Committee (CLOC) report, it will require a two-thirds majority to pass.
Game day for spirit?
Spirit may be getting a new discipline, should a proposal to add Game Day be approved.
The proposal, which comes from the Board of Directors, would add Game Day under the spirit umbrella. Already, spirit has Cheer, Co-ed Cheer, Pom Pon, Jazz and Hip-Hop.
This discipline is more accessible to a wide range of schools, as it is a competition surrounding a spirit program’s primary role, which is to support their school’s athletic teams. Teams are judged based upon their ability to lead cheers, use skills to rally a crowd, communicate to fans, and support the athletes on the fields.
No choreographer or payment for music would be needed to compete in this division.
Two classes of girls lacrosse?
With girls lacrosse continuing to grow — there are 58 teams this spring — the Western Slope and Pikes Peak leagues are proposal a second classification for the sport.
The proposal reasons that boys lacrosse added a second classification when it approached 70 teams, that it would help competitive equity, and continue to encourage new programs.
The lacrosse committee does not support the proposal, and raised questions about how it would be split. For example, four-time defending champion Colorado Academy would technically be able to play in the 4A classification due to its small enrollment.
Like the football proposal, this also amends the CLOC report, and will require a two-thirds vote.
Other proposals
- The first administrative proposal, from the Board of Directors, would add a school’s “prior year out-of-building student percentage on rosters” to the factors used for placing teams into classifications.
- Another proposal from the Board would require co-op programs to compete together for an entire two-year competitive cycle. Currently, co-ops can change year-to-year, which creates scheduling and alignment problems.
- A transfer-rule proposal would make it so students who have transferred previously cannot practice with their new school, get cut, transfer to their original school, and maintain eligibility.
- One proposal, also from the Board, asks that the The Amateur Status be simplified and rewritten to read: “An essential condition of CHSAA eligibility is that a student-athlete be an amateur. He or she may not compete for or accept cash for playing some part or all aspects of a sport. An amateur may not sign a professional contract or play with/against professionals.” This proposal also amends a Q&A to allow booster clubs to purchase state championship rings, and adds an exception that student-athletes may fundraise for personal items that exceed $100.
- A proposal surrounding national competition aligns with the direction the NFHS is heading with wanting to create national championships, as it allows competition on Sundays for these specific events. This proposal also slightly opens up the language that allows individuals or teams to participate — if it is “sponsored by the NFHS or approved by the CHSAA office” and they have permission from their school.
- The Tri-Valley League is proposing a simplification to the way the maximum number of matches are tallied in wrestling, changing it from a points system to a 10 meet/dual meet maximum, along with no more than 10 days of tournaments (including dual meet tournaments).
Committee Reports
- The CLOC report would make official the membership of Addenbrooke Classical Academy (Lakewood), Banning Lewis Preparatory Academy (Colorado Springs), and DSST: Conservatory Green (Denver). Additionally, if approved, the classifications for 2020-22 would be approved.
- Officials fees would be set to $60 per official in basketball; and $59 for a center ref and $54.50 for assistant refs in soccer.
- Speech wants to add a one-year pilot to offer Congressional Debate at the 2019-20 state tournament and state festival.
- No major changes in baseball, basketball, golf, gymnastics, ice hockey, girls lacrosse, tennis, track and field, or wrestling.
- The 2019 state cross country championship has been moved to Oct. 26.
- Field hockey is creating a mercy rule for regular season play: A five-goal differential would create a running clock; a six-goal differential causes the winning team to remove a player; a seven-goal differential caused the same team to remove a second play; an eight-goal differential causes the removal of a third player. If the losing team cuts into the margin after a player has been removed, a team may substitute a player back in. Additionally, field hockey slightly altered its seeding procedure for the state tournament, guaranteeing the conference champion the No. 1 seed.
- The football committee is recommending a new seeding committee and criteria for playoffs. Additionally, the league alignment for the 2020 and 2021 season would be approved by the Board of Directors this June.
- Boys lacrosse wants to move the 4A semifinal games to a neutral venue. This would be effective for the current 2019 season.
- Skiing is creating a Championship Committee — comprised of the nordic and alpine race directors, the host school’s athletic director, and the CHSAA representative — who will make the decisions on any scheduling and venue changes, should they be needed.
- Soccer is recommending game minimums in 2A, and changes to its officiating system.
- Softball is recommending a new mercy rule, and a double bag at first base.
- In spirit, schools will only be able to be represented once at the state competition in the overarching cheer and dance disciplines.
- In swimming and diving, all athletes will be required to compete in a minimum of six high school meets to qualify for the state competition. All multi-team meets count as one meet toward the minimum.
- Volleyball changed the color of the official ball that will be used during the postseason.
Board of Directors
- Troy Baker has been elected as the next president of CHSAA’s Board of Directors. He will be formally introduced to the Legislative Council.
- The following members of the Board are concluding their terms, and their replacements will be nominated at the meeting: Rick Macias, Rick Mondt, and Angie Sanders.
