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Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Football Rule Changes
Greater Louisville, KY
By: Dave Weston, Holy Cross High School
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Photo(s) By: Kyle Danztler/MyActionPortraits.com
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KHSAA rule changes on football equipment may help with heat acclimation and improve player safety. But some coaches believe their methods may be better.
Effective for 2008, the rules governing the use of equipment during the first few weeks of summer football practice have changed for high schools in the state of Kentucky. For schools starting practice on July 15th, the new rule dictates that only helmets, T-shirts and shorts may be worn until July 31st. On August 1st, players can make the transition to full uniforms with shoulder pads and pants.
The motivation for this new rule is to allow players to become acclimated to the heat. Some high school coaches see a problem with the rule in that it takes players from no equipment (excluding helmet) for three weeks directly to full equipment. This transition actually might be physically harder for a player to adjust to than the way coaches have gradually acclimated their players to the heat in the past.
For most schools that start football practice on July 15th of every year, there has been a standard procedure in the progression of football equipment to allow players to become acclimated to the heat. The first week of practice included helmets, T-shirts and shorts; the second week there was a transition to helmets, shoulder pads and shorts, and the third week there was a transition to full equipment that included pants with pads. Some coaches believe the gradual transition of adding equipment each week makes it easier for players to become acclimated to the heat.
Player safety is always at the forefront of every coach’s mind these days, especially during summer football practices where temperatures reach the 90’s and sometimes 100’s. Every day before and during practices in the summer, the KHSAA requires coaches to measure the heat index (temperature and humidity) on their practice field with a KHSAA hand-held heat index-measuring device called a hydrometer and record the reading on a KHSAA Heat Index Form. This form must then be submitted to the KHSAA. If the reading on the hydrometer is too high (103), then practice must be delayed. Most coaches will delay practice if the hydrometer reading is even close to the maximum reading or only practice in minimum equipment to ensure the safety of their players.
The KHSAA Commissioners Notes publication that announced the new rule last month offered no empirical evidence or referenced any studies that would indicate that the new heat acclimation rule was safer than the procedures practiced by most high school football coaches in the past. The publication indicated that the new rule was discussed and agreed upon at the KHSAA annual meeting, which includes some fine high school coaches and athletic directors from across the state. I know that every rule and decision the KHSAA makes is with the best interest and safety of student athletes in mind, but there are also coaches that happen to disagree on this rule. I hope our opinions are wrong on this one.
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