MHSAA Board Approves Changes to Athletic Guidelines

February 7, 2014

CLINTON, Miss. (WCBI/MHSAA) — Four second-time items passed the MHSAA legislative council and executive committee voting Thursday and will go into effect either this spring or next school year. The executive committee and legislative council are made up of school administrators and coaches.

1. Effective this season, the playoff system for fast-pitch softball will include a best-of-three series for the play-in round between No. 2 and No. 3 seeds instead of a one-game playoff. This is the same format as last year.

2. Effective this season, the playoff system for baseball will include a best-of-three series for the play-in round between No. 2 and No. 3 seeds instead of a one-game playoff. This is the same format as last year. The following rounds will continue to be a best-of-three series with a higher seed hosting Game 1, the lower seed Game 2 and the higher seed Game 3 (if necessary) on three different days.

3. Effective for the 2014-15 school year, three teams will advance from region (division) basketball tournaments in Class 6A and 5A (two advance currently) and four teams in Class 4A, 3A, 2A and 1A (same as currently). The current North/South tournaments will be eliminated (eight teams will advance to the State Tournament in each classification; currently, four teams advance to the State Tournament in each classification). The brackets for the playoffs and State Tournament will be determined by the executive director and his staff.

4. Effective for the 2014-15 school year, each school will be allowed 90 minutes per day to work out in the offseason — depending on a school’s schedule. Examples as follow: 90-minute athletic period (over at the bell); 50-minute athletic period (permitted additional 40 minutes for weight training and conditioning after school); 90-minute athletic period (every other day — 90 minutes after school for weight training and conditioning allowed on days with no athletic period).

>>>>> 5. Effective for the 2014-15 school year, the MHSAA executive committee approved an adjustment to the hosting guidelines for the North State and South State championship football games. The higher- (better-) seeded team will automatically host. If the teams are equally seeded, the host site will be decided as before: 1) the team that has played fewer home games; 2) the lower or higher division number, which alternates each year. Hosting guidelines for all other rounds of the football playoffs will remain the same.

*****Also, the MHSAA executive committee offered its support of the MHSAA’s exploration of new venues for the State Football Championships. The MHSAA executive director’s meetings with Mississippi State University, the University of Mississippi and the University of Southern Mississippi on this matter will proceed.