Page 138 - 2023-24 By-Laws

Rule 54 - Football

54-3.3
Schools shall be limited to the playing of one interschool Varsity football game in a Five (5)
day period, excluding Sunday. A junior varsity Contest may be played on a Monday and the
following Saturday, provided there is no junior varsity Contest played on Monday through
Friday following the Saturday junior varsity Contest. Exceptions may be made for inclement
weather when approval is obtained from the Commissioner.
54-3.4
All teams below Varsity level shall be limited to Two (2) overtimes.
54-4
All organized football Practices by players or teams shall be limited to the period beginning
Monday of IHSAA calendar week 5 and terminating on the date the team is eliminated from
the Football Tournament Series.
a. On the fi rst (1st) day of football Practice there cannot be full contact (any intentional
football activity by a player where the goal is to take one or more competing players to
the ground as the result of a collision), and the player’s protective equipment is limited
to helmet, shoes, girdle and mouthpiece. The total time on the fi eld cannot exceed Two
and one-half (2½) hours.
b. On the second (2nd) and third (3rd) days of football Practice, there cannot be full contact
and the player’s protective equipment is limited to helmet, shoulder pads, shoes, girdle
and mouthpiece. If multiple Practice sessions are held on a single day, the total time on
the fi eld cannot exceed Three (3) hours, but if there is only One (1) Practice session, the
total time on the fi eld cannot exceed Two and one-half (2½) hours.
c. On the fourth (4th) day of football Practice, and later, there can be full contact and players
can have full pads. If multiple Practices are held on a single day the total time cannot
exceed Five (5) hours, but if there is only One (1) Practice session, the total time on the
fi eld cannot exceed Three (3) hours.
d. Beginning Monday of IHSAA calendar week 5:
(1.) There can be no more than Two (2) Practice-sessions per day.
(2.) There cannot be back to back calendar days having Two (2) Practice sessions on
a single day.
(3.) After the third (3rd) day of Practice, if there are Two (2) Practice-sessions on a single
days :
i. There can be only One (1) full contact/full padded Practice session.
ii. The break between Practices must be at least Three (3) hours in duration
and during the break there cannot be player physical exertion.
iii. During the break a classroom instruction session, not to exceed Forty-fi ve
(45) minutes, is permitted.
iv. During the break an indoor walkthrough session in a climate controlled
environment, not to exceed Forty-fi ve (45) minutes, is permitted.
(4.) On One (1) practice session days an outdoor walkthrough session with no protective
equipment worn, not to exceed a Forty-fi ve (45) minutes, is permitted provided the
walkthrough session ends at least Three (3) hours before the Practice begins, or starts
no sooner than Three (3) hours after the Practice ended.
e. After Friday of week 7, a football team and a football player may participate in a maximum
of Two (2) Practices per IHSAA Corresponding Week which involves contact equal to
the ‘Thud’ level (drill is run at competitive speed through the moment of contact; no pre-
determined “winner”; contact remains above the waist; players stay on their feet; a quick
whistle ends the drill) or the ‘Live’ level (drill is run in game-like conditions and is the only
time that players are taken to the ground), while wearing full protective equipment.
54-5
All Member School pre-season football Practices held prior to the fi rst authorized Contest
date shall be held on the regular Practice/play football facility under the direct supervision of
the Member Schools coach/es.

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