The New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) held the 99th meeting of the Central Committee on Tuesday, July 26th. The meeting will continue on Wednesday, July 27th at the High Peaks Resort in Lake Placid. The Committee voted on several key proposals important to the Association’s 787-member schools during Tuesday’s meeting.
Representatives of the 11 sections approved a change to the overtime procedure in the regular season and post season for the sport of girls soccer. Regular season games will consist of two (2) 40- minute halves with two (2) 10-minute sudden victory overtimes. Beginning with Section play and continuing through the State Tournament, overtimes will consist of two (2) 15- minute sudden victory periods and, if still tied, penalty kicks. The only exception to this would be in the State Championship game where co-champions may be declared after the two (2) sudden victory overtime periods.
A new championship format was approved for boys and girls individual tennis. The consolation bracket has been eliminated and the top 8 finishers will be awarded playoff medals. Also, the sport of boys ice hockey had two proposals approved, one related to overtime procedures and the other related to goaltender substitution. Those can be found on pages 107-108 of the agenda.
A pair of proposals in the sport of gymnastics were approved, one related to scoring and its technical handbook, the other related to wearing spandex/lycra pants and shorts.
Numerous items related to football were approved including a change in the submission of the football officials for the NYSPHSAA State Semifinals and Finals was approved. Details of this proposal can be found on page 67 of the agenda. Also in football, a one-year pilot program to use the standby official at the Semifinal and Finals games as an on-field official was approved as well. Girls flag football was granted emerging sport status due to four sections having at least four teams each. This will result in a girls flag football committee being formed this fall and eventually a culminating championship to be developed.
In girls wrestling, there are currently three sections which have at least four programs committed to a girls-only wrestling team. Section VI is anticipating one more girls wrestling team to be formed, which will then give NYSPHSAA four sections with four programs to qualify as an emerging sport, and thus allow a committee to be formed.
The Central Committee meeting will conclude with the induction of the NYSPHSAA Hall of Fame Class of 2022. The class is made up of Fred Ahart (Administrator, Section IX), Jim Amen, Jr. (Coach/Administrator, Section VIII), Maria DeCristoforo (Official, Section VIII), Dennis Fries (Administrator, Section V), Molly Huddle (Athlete, Section IV), and Jim McGowan (Coach, Section XI).
The next meeting of the NYSPHSAA Executive Committee will be on Wednesday, October 19th at Embassy Suites in Saratoga Springs.