By Tim Stried
OHSAA Director of Communications

COLUMBUS — Summer conditioning programs and 10 days of coaching will conclude this weekend as the first official day of practice for OHSAA fall sports arrives next week. Football practice begins Monday, while all other fall sports may begin practice on Tuesday.
Schools are reminded of OHSAA heat regulations and the practice guidelines specific to football contact (please see below).
Please visit the specific sport pages at www.OHSAA.org for preseason manuals, news releases, regulations, bulletins, tournament information and state tournament coverage.
OHSAA Fall Sports – Date that Regular-Season Contests May Begin
Cross Country – Aug. 21 (OHSAA Preseason Invitational at National Trail is Aug. 19)
Field Hockey – Aug. 19
Football – Aug. 21 (first Friday is Aug. 25)
Golf – Aug. 4
Soccer – Aug. 18 (OHSAA Friday Night Futbol, see below)
Tennis (Girls) – Aug. 11
Volleyball – Aug. 19
2017-18 OHSAA Ready Reference Calendar: http://www.ohsaa.org/Portals/0/Calendar/ReadyRefDates/ReadyReferenceHS.pdf
Football Season and Playoff Notes
Football home: http://www.ohsaa.org/sports/football
Playoff format announced: http://bit.ly/2v4s3WI
Football regions: http://www.ohsaa.org/Sports-Tournaments/Football/Football-2017
Associated Press Weekly Polls: begin September 11
Associated Press Weekly Notebooks: begin September 13
Weekly Computer Ratings: begin September 19
Regular-Season Ends Saturday, Oct. 28. Final computer points and playoff qualifiers posted Sunday, Oct. 29
Statewide Broadcast List: http://www.ohsaa.org/Portals/0/Sports/Football/OHSAAFootballRadioListing.pdf
Football Notes and Practice Guidelines
Of the OHSAA’s 822 member high schools, 719 sponsor football teams. A total of 224 will qualify for the playoffs – 32 in each of seven divisions. The regular-season ends on Saturday, Oct. 28, with final computer ratings posted Sunday, Oct. 29.
Acclimatization Period: A five-day acclimatization period is mandatory prior to any contact drills. Only helmets are permitted on the first and second days of practice. Shoulder pads may be added on days three and four. Full pads may be worn on the fifth day. Full contact is permitted on the sixth day.
Contact Regulations: The following regulations apply to individual student-athletes. Position groups, etc., can alternate contact to adhere to the regulations listed below. Also, contact with soft equipment such as bags, shields, sleds, etc., does not count toward contact limitations.
Full Contact Limited During Two-A-Day Practices: When more than one practice takes place in a day, full contact is permitted only during one of the practices. With the importance of recovery time to help minimize concussion risks, consideration should also be given to the timing of full contact during the next day (i.e. if full contact occurs during session 2 of two-a-days, there should not be full contact in session 1 of two-a-days the following day).
Practice During the Season (after the first regular season game):
1. Consider limiting full-contact on consecutive days.
2. A student-athlete is limited to 30 minutes of full contact in practice per day.
3. A student-athlete is limited to 60 minutes of full contact in practice per week.
4. A student-athlete can be involved in full contact in a maximum of two practices in a seven-day span.
OHSAA Heat Illness Policy
This procedure is to be used until such time as the temperature is below 84 degrees as no combination of heat and humidity at that level will result in a need to curtail activity.
1. Thirty minutes prior to the start of activity, temperature and humidity readings should be taken at the site.
2. The temperature and humidity should be factored into the Heat Index Calculation and Chart and a determination made as to the Heat Index. If schools are utilizing a digital sling psychrometer that calculates the Heat Index, that number may be used to apply to the table.
3. If a reading is determined whereby activity is to be decreased (above 95 degrees Heat Index), then rereadings would be required every thirty minutes to determine if further activity should be eliminated or preventative steps taken, or if an increased level of activity can resume.
4. Using the following table, activity should be altered and/or eliminated based on this Heat Index as determined:
Under 95 degrees Heat Index:
• Optional water breaks every 30 minutes for 10 minutes in duration to allow hydration as a group.
• Have towels with ice for cooling of athletes as needed.
• Watch/monitor athletes carefully for necessary action.
• Re-check temperature and humidity every 30 minutes if temperature rises in order to monitor for increased Heat Index.
95 degrees to 99 degrees Heat Index:
• Water shall always be available and athletes shall be able to take in as much water as they desire.
• Mandatory water breaks every 30 minutes for 10 minutes in duration to allow for hydration as a group.
• Have towels with ice for cooling of athletes as needed.
• Watch/monitor athletes carefully for necessary action.
• Helmets and other equipment should be removed when athlete not directly involved with competition, drill or practice and it is not otherwise required by rule.
Notes: Reduce time of outside activity. Consider postponing practice to later in the day. Re-check temperature and humidity every 30 minutes to monitor for increased Heat Index.
100 degrees (above 99 degrees) to 104 degrees Heat Index:
• Water shall always be available and athletes shall be able to take in as much water as they desire.
• Mandatory water breaks every 30 minutes for 10 minutes in duration to allow hydration as a group.
• Have towels with ice for cooling of athletes as needed.
• Watch/monitor athletes carefully for necessary action.
• Alter uniform by removing items if possible and permissible by rules.
• Allow athletes to change to dry shirts and shorts at defined intervals.
• Reduce time of outside activity as well as indoor activity if air conditioning is unavailable.
• Postpone practice to later in day.
• If helmets or other protective requirement are required to be worn by rule or normal practice, suspend practice or competition immediately.
Note: Re-check temperature and humidity every 30 minutes to monitor for changes in Heat Index.
Above 104 degrees Heat Index:
• Stop all outside activity in practice and/or play, and stop all inside activity if air conditioning is unavailable.