KHSAA Board of Control extends Segment 3 Restrictions to August 3

[theguru]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 13, 2020

The Board of Control conducted its first meeting of the 2020-21 academic year on July 10 in Covington, examining various issues concerning the restart of school-based athletics in relation to the Covid-19 pandemic. During the course of its meeting, the Board approved a recommendation to extend the guidance and allowances for Segment 3 of the document issued for summer play in KHSAA sports and sport-activities through Sunday, August 2, except for the sport of golf.

As a result of the Board’s action, the traditional July 15 start of practice for KHSAA fall sports has been pushed back until Aug. 3, however, it should be noted that Kentucky has some of the earliest starts to fall practice (dates when activity could be mandatory) in the continental United States. Mandatory tryouts or practices cannot be held prior to Aug. 3, including for the sport-activities of Dance and Competitive Cheer, which have already benefited from an additional window for virtual tryouts during the summer after the April period was eliminated due to the Covid-19 Dead Period. As an additional part of the approved motion for the segment from July 13-August 2, it is strongly recommended that a limitation of six hours per week be instituted by each member school for workouts. Clarifications and allowances will be continually reviewed for revisions based on available health data.

Golf was approved to begin on schedule with practices being mandatory for participants (such as tryouts if such is declared by the school) beginning on July 15 as well as the implementation of the current year catastrophic insurance provisions for participants. The first scheduled playing date remains as July 31, with all competition held in conjunction with Covid-19 guidelines and guidance from the Kentucky Department of Health, Kentucky Golf House, Kentucky Junior Golf, Allied Golf Associations, and Golf Course Superintendents of America. More information on the Segment 3 continuation is available online at https://bit.ly/2Wf3tPo along with the KHSAA’s detailed return to participation guidelines at https://khsaa.org/covid19june1tojuly12/.

The Board then directed the Commissioner’s office to finalize the development of guidance for formal practice and contests for fall sports in consultation with the "powers that be" to allow for the regular season to begin (including timelines) and that such guidance, including alternative policy considerations, be reviewed by the Board of Control for adoption in the period of late July or early August.

In other action, the Board:

Approved an adjustment (for 2020-21 only) to standings as well as RPI calculation methods due to possible cancelation of games resulting from the pandemic and local impact. In all contests, games canceled due to the pandemic or mandatory quarantines shall not have a result recorded, and no forfeit or forfeit provisions will be applied. In all seeded games (including district football), games canceled due to the pandemic or mandatory quarantines, the current provision of counting a contest unable to be played or rescheduled will be implemented as a win and loss for both teams when calculating winning percentage. This method is currently utilized in most team sports in the case that a required seeded district game is unable to be played and is not the result of forfeiture. The RPI will be adjusted for each of these types of contests to apply the out of state victory factor for both teams;

https://khsaa.org/07-13-20-board-of-control-extends-segment-3-restrictions-to-august-3/

 

[theguru]

Healthy at Sports Position Statement by the KHSAA on 7-14-20

As announcements are made across the country regarding the return to athletics or specific sports, our office will continue to be informed but not necessarily controlled or bound by decisions from other levels of play, as well as other state associations. This is a very fluid situation, and Kentucky data and discussions need to drive Kentucky decisions for the betterment of all involved in high school sports and sport-activities, as well as middle schools. Like most others, we are constantly receiving updated information from around the state and nation during this very dynamic period.

Our decisions in developing a Healthy at Sports timeline will continue to be made with the following primary goals and objectives in mind:

To always keep participant safety and risk minimization as a top priority;
To avoid a delay in the start of school and in-person learning;
To recognize the physical, mental and emotional benefits to the educational experience of student participation while representing your school;
To recognize the physical, mental and emotional benefits of strong coach-to-athlete and athlete-to-athlete relationships;
To have all sports and sport-activities and all three sports seasons in some way, shape, form, or fashion going forward;
To especially honor the devotion and commitment of those who lost spring 2020 participation opportunities by exhausting all options for a safe and healthy resumption of sports and sport-activities.
We realize that it is an impossible task to please all parties involved but our staff and our Board of Control will continue to work with our partners in our member schools, school systems and "all the powers that be" to make the best possible decisions for the Commonwealth of Kentucky.