New classification, girls flag football emerging: Changes coming to NY high school sports
A new classification is arriving to New York State high school sports.
The Central Committee of the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) approved the creation of Class AAA Wednesday for the largest public schools in the state, starting in the 2023-24 school year.
The addition of this sixth class upends the five-class system used by the state for the last two decades where Class AA ranked the highest and Class D as the lowest.
“I think it’s a good move because it is going to get more students the opportunity to participate in sectional, regional and state championships,” John Rathbun, Section III Executive Director said.
Here is more information about this change and other significant alterations announced at the committee meeting, held Tuesday and Wednesday at the High Peaks Resort in Lake Placid.
The addition of a sixth classification
The new Class AAA impacts boys basketball, girls basketball, boys soccer, girls soccer, baseball, softball and girls volleyball.
The new class will not open for other sports because not enough schools offer them.
The same goes for football since at least 500 schools in the state fail to play.
Schools can submit enrollment numbers to determine their new classification at a later date. The top 75 schools in enrollment will go to Class AAA, while the bottom 100 head to Class D.
Rathbun said this proposal had been discussed for years before finally passing.
Kathy Hoyt, Executive Director of Section V, said the section supported the revisions confirmed by the committee and added the new class has a major effect on the section and its 130 schools.
Other rule changes for New York high school sports
The NYSPHSAA also loosened its jewelry rules Wednesday.
The previous rule put in place by the governing body stated athletes could only wear religious and medical jewelry, and a wavier must be obtained beforehand.
The new rule puts the state’s policies in line with those of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS).
The federation altered its rule earlier this month to allow baseball and softball players and coaches to wear jewelry.
Under NFHS guidelines, jewelry that poses a threat of injury to a player still must be removed.
New overtime and championship formats in girls soccer and boys and girls tennis
After years of maintaining its own rules, girls soccer’s overtime procedures will finally match up with the boys.
Regular season games will consist of two 40-minute halves and two 10-minute sudden death overtime periods. In the postseason, those OT periods extend to 15 minutes.
In sectionals and beyond, if the game is tied after OT, penalty kicks will occur. Officials can proclaim co-champions if neither team scored in OT in the state title game.
Prior to this modification, girls soccer played four OTs, and only the final two counted as sudden death.
“I can’t tell you how many times I’d be shopping at Wegmans on a Friday night, and I get a call asking what the overtime was for boys soccer, and I’d get confused between the two,” Rathbun said.
On the hard court, the committee approved changes to the state championship format for boys and girls tennis. This includes the elimination of the consolation bracket and the awarding of playoff medals to the top eight finishers.
High school sports:Section 1 to launch girls flag football pilot program this spring with 8 teams
Girls flag football receives emerging sport status
A new sport arrived in the state last season – girls flag football. On Tuesday, the sport was granted emerging sport status as six sections now maintain at least four teams.
In those six sections – Sections I, IV, V, VI, VIII and XI – athletic programs received funding from the Bills, Jets and Giants.
Hoyt said eight schools in Section V participated in the pilot program and called it a huge success thanks to the support of the Bills.
She added that, since Tuesday's decision, no school in the section has reached out to her about adding flag football.
Before last season, schools had to express interest and apply for a grant, but Hoyt is hopeful it will be easier this time around.
"From the state meeting last week, there could potentially be grant money if you are a school looking to add the sport," she said.
In areas that weren’t part of the pilot program, such as Section III, Rathbun hopes the state will provide funding for uniforms and other costs.
This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: NY high school sports to start new class, girls flag football starts
