EAST LANSING, MI (WTVB) – Tryouts and training begin for fall high school sports in the state Monday, and the Michigan High School Athletic Association says a new format for early-round playoff seeding in 11-player football is among the most notable changes as more than 100,000 high school athletes from MHSAA member high schools.
Girls golf and boys tennis teams in the Lower Peninsula and girls tennis teams in the Upper Peninsula may begin competition August 14. Cross country, field hockey, boys soccer, girls volleyball and Lower Peninsula girls swimming & diving teams may begin competing August 19, and the first varsity football games may be played August 27.
The 11-Player Football Playoffs will begin October 30 and 31 with a new seeding system. Beginning this season, the playoff field in each of eight 11-player divisions will first be organized into eight-team Regionals. The eight teams in each Regional will then be seeded based on playoff-point average, with seeds 1, 4, 5 and 8 comprising one District and seeds 2, 3, 6 and 7 comprising the other. The winners of those Districts will play in the Regional Final.
A golf change also relates to postseason play, as golfers must now play in at least eight dates of a school team’s competition schedule to be eligible for the MHSAA Tournament. If a school’s varsity team plays fewer than 16 regular-season dates of competition, a student must instead participate in at least 50 percent of the varsity’s regular-season dates to be eligible for the postseason.
The MHSAA says a few game-action rules changes also will be quickly noticeable to participants and spectators.
High school volleyball teams now are permitted to designate up to two liberos prior to each set, although only one libero can be in the game at a time. Also in volleyball, players on the serving team are forbidden to raise their hands above their heads during service until the ball has passed beyond the net.
In football, a rule formerly applied to defensive players prohibiting them from using their hands to slap an opponent’s head has been expanded to penalize players on both sides of the ball for slapping an opponent’s head.
In soccer, goalkeepers will be allowed eight seconds instead of the previously-permitted six before releasing the ball. A corner kick will be awarded if the goalkeeper holds the ball past eight seconds. Also in soccer, a change on penalty kicks states encroachment will be penalized only if the offense has a clear impact on the penalty kick.
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