IHSAA To Add Third Soccer Class
INDIANAPOLIS – The IHSAA Executive Committee approved adding a third classification based on school enrollment to the boys and girls soccer state tournaments at its monthly meeting in Indianapolis Friday morning.
The group approved the request by a 17‐2 count which becomes effective immediately.
In a survey of principals, athletic directors, boys head coaches and girls head coaches and a response by 806
individuals, 581 (72.1%) favored the additional class.
Last fall, 299 boys teams and 266 girls teams entered the state tournaments and more are expected for next
season. Both sports have been in a two‐class format since 2011 and were in a single class structure from 1994‐
2010.
On Monday, the IHSAA announced the newest enrollment figures that will be used to classify schools in team
sports for the 2017‐18, 2018‐19 school years. Later this month, those classifications, including boys and girls
soccer, will be released. The new sectional assignments will be announced in May.
In other soccer news, the National Federation of State High School Associations Soccer Rules Commitee (NFHS) approved in late January the amendments of several rules, including free kicks may be kicked in any direction after goals and the start of a match and after halftime.
The change to the kickoff procedure in Rule 8-1-3 requires a change in Rule 13-1-2, which now states that all free kicks, with the exception of penalty kicks, may be taken in any direction. The kickoff has been eliminated as an exception.
In addition, Rule 10-1-3f states that a goal may not be scored directly from a kickoff into the kick-ing team’s own goal. This change is consistent with the concept that a team cannot score against itself from a free kick.
Players are now permitted to use a stutter step or a hesitation move when taking a penalty kick as long as there is continuous movement ac-cording to a change in Rule 14-1-4. Stutter-stepping is not an interruption of movement to-ward the ball.
Rules also allow soft-padded headgear to be worn, visible arm and leg compression sleeves, as well as officials being permitted to use electronic communication devices that are cleared by the state associations.
A complete listing of all rules changes will be available soon on the NFHS website at www.nfhs.org. Click on “Activities & Sports” at the top of the home page, and select “Soccer.”