Western Brown High School players celebrate a big play in last season’s football opener against Hillsboro, which the Broncos won, 55-0. After starting practice July 31, they will again open against the Indians this fall, traveling to Hillsboro for the Aug. 18 season kickoff. Brown County Press file photo
After nearly two months of high school sports inactivity following the culmination of the spring season, the day fall sports coaches, athletes and fans have been waiting for since, well, probably the end of the 2022 fall season is just days away.
The Ohio High School Athletic Association recently noted that the first day of coaching – as in fall sports practices – will be Monday, July 31.
Sports that will kick off with those first practices July 31 include boys and girls golf, girls tennis, boys and girls cross country, field hockey, boys and girls soccer, girls volleyball, football, and spirit.
In golf, teams also are eligible to begin competition on July 31. That date for other fall sports: girls tennis, Aug. 4; soccer, Aug. 11; football, Aug. 14; field hockey, Aug. 18; girls volleyball, Aug. 18; and cross country, Aug. 21.
Pitching delivery changes OK’d for high school softball
Beginning next year, pitchers in high school softball will be allowed to disengage both feet from the playing surface if the pivot foot is not replanted prior to the delivery of the pitch. Previously, the pivot foot was required to remain in contact with the ground.
This modification to Rule 6-1-2c of the NFHS Softball Rules Book headlined a set of seven rules changes recommended by the NFHS Softball Rules Committee at the committee’s June 11-13 meeting at the Conrad Hotel in downtown Indianapolis. All changes were subsequently approved by the NFHS Board of Directors.
“Our rules have traditionally allowed for flexibility to accommodate the differing skill levels of high school athletes. This change allows for exploration of different styles of pitching during student-athletes’ developmental stages,” said Sandy Searcy, NFHS director of sports and liaison to the NFHS Softball Rules Committee.
In another change, Rule 1-8-6 now permits electronic information to be transmitted to the dugout from anywhere outside of live ball area. This reflects current technology and still requires that electronic devices are used in the dugout but no longer stipulates where the video is recorded or how it is transmitted.
Beginning January 1, 2027, softball uniforms may display only the player’s name, school name or nickname, school mascot and/or school logo as part of Rule 3-2-3. An additional uniform change for the 2024 season was approved in Rule 3-2-5, which more clearly defines what can be worn on the head to be consistent with other NFHS sports.
Changes to Rule 3-2-7 clarify where wristbands with a playbook/playcard attached can be worn. The equipment is only permitted to be worn on a player’s wrist or arm, and pitchers must wear it on their non-pitching arm, prohibiting wristbands from being worn on the belt.
The NFHS Softball Rules Committee further clarified the list of approved and non-approved substances to be used as drying agents for the pitcher in Rule 6-2-2. The rule specifies that dirt is not considered a foreign substance and does not have to be wiped from the hand prior to contacting the ball. Acceptable use of drying agents under the supervision and control of the umpire includes powdered rosin or any comparable drying agent listed on USA Softball’s certified equipment website.
Electronic communication OK’d between coach, catcher
The use of a one-way communication device between a coach in the dugout and a team’s catcher for the purposes of calling pitches will be permitted in high school baseball beginning in 2024.
This change to Rules 1-6-2 and 3-2-5 was one of five rules revisions approved by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Baseball Rules Committee at its meeting last month in Indianapolis. The recommendations were subsequently approved by the NFHS Board of Directors.
The new rules prohibit coaches from communicating with any other player besides the catcher on defense and with any player while batting. The coach must also be in the dugout when using the communication device.
Game management by umpires was addressed with a change to Rule 10-2-3h. The edit removes spectators’ behavior from the umpire-in-chief’s jurisdiction when deciding to forfeit a contest. Only infractions by players, coaches or team/bench personnel are under the umpire’s jurisdiction. The committee agreed that poor behavior by spectators should be handled by game administration.
Rule 1-6-1 was added and designates a wristband with defensive shifts, pitching choices or game directions as non-electronic equipment and must be a single, solid color and worn on the forearm. Pitchers’ cards must not be white, gray or a distracting color and worn on their non-pitching arm.
According to the most recent NFHS High School Athletics Participation Survey, baseball is the fourth-most popular sport for boys with 481,004 student-athletes in 15,925 high schools nationwide. The survey also indicated that 1,156 girls across the country play high school baseball.
OHSAA schools required to accept cash for tickets, concessions in October
Ohio High School Athletic Association member schools will be required to accept cash as a form of payment starting in early October for admissions and concession stand sales for all “school-affiliated events” as a result of a provision in Ohio House Bill 33.
OHSAA sent a memo regarding applicable information in House Bill 33 to member schools on July 6. It is believed that the law does not apply to OHSAA regional and state tournament contests. All OHSAA regional and state tournament contests use digital ticketing for entry.
The final version of House Bill 33 which was passed by the legislature and signed by Gov. Mike DeWine on July 4, becomes law at the beginning of October 2023 or 90 days after it was signed by DeWine.
The OHSAA told its member schools it will send messaging later this month with suggestions and recommendations on how to handle the issue for schools that are currently all digital with ticket sales.
According to the OHSAA memo, the law says a qualifying school means a school district or chartered non-public school that elects to participate in athletic events regulated by an interscholastic conference or an organization that regulates interscholastic conferences.
A school-affiliated event means an athletic event, play, musical or any other school-related event or activity that a district or school conducts, sponsors or participates in and for which a district or school charges admission to attend.
A school-affiliated event does not include any event or activity that is conducted in a public facility that is leased by a professional sports team or a privately-owned facility.
If a qualifying school does not accept cash payments as of early October from an individual who wishes to purchase a ticket, the law says a school shall grant that person a free ticket if there are still tickets available and the individual demonstrates there is enough cash to cover the full cost of the ticket.
The law says each school that offers concessions shall provide at least one location where an individual may pay cash for concessions.
The OHSAA includes an estimated 818 member high schools and 670 seventh- and eighth-grade schools throughout the state.