TABLE III – Schedule of Spring Sports – EFFECTIVE July 1, 2008

 The schedule of spring sports listed below is effective for all PIAA member schools.  Junior high/middle schools may elect to follow this schedule for each sport, or they may elect to follow an alternate schedule for each sport.  If junior high/middle schools elect to follow an alternate schedule, they may not reduce the minimum length of Preseason Practice in each sport and they may not exceed the maximum length of Regular Season in each sport.

Notes:

1.     ARTICLE XII, Section 2 (the “Six Day Rule”) continues to apply.
2.     The first Inter-School Practice or Scrimmage may be held after the fifth (5th) day of Practice.
3.     With the exception of Tournaments sponsored by at least one PIAA-member school and involving only PIAA-member schools, and conference or league championship Tournaments, all Regular Season invitationals and Tournaments in all sports involving individual athletes and/or Teams must be approved by PIAA at least four (4) weeks or twenty (20) business days prior to the first day of competition.
4.     With District Committee approval, Contests that are required to be played in order to determine qualifiers to District Championship Contests and/or Contests that are required to be played to determine a conference or league champion shall not count toward the maximum number of Regular Season Contests in that sport and shall be played by the District Deadline in that sport.
5.     Individual athletes and/or Teams that have qualified for District Championship Contests and have concluded participation in their Regular Season Contests are permitted to engage in an unlimited number of Inter-School Practices or Scrimmages in the sport involved until the individual athletes and/or Teams are eliminated from District or Inter-District Championship Contests.
6.     A PIAA-member school is permitted to participate in a maximum of twenty-four (24) Regular Season boys’ volleyball Contests based on the following method of counting Regular Season boys’ volleyball Contests:
        One (1) Contest for each dual match; two (2) Contests for each quadrangular match; for each triangular match; and for each Tournament involving three (3) or more Teams.
7.     Member schools may play girls’ soccer during either the fall sports’ season or the spring sports season.

Article XVI
Season and out-of-season
Rules and Regulations

Section 1.  Guidelines.

        Consistent with the concept that interscholastic athletics are a part of the educational system, and consistent with the established goals of health, safety, and sportsmanship, the following guidelines for out-of-season regulations are set forth:

        1.     The basic responsibility of all administrators and athletic coaches is to provide students who are participating in interscholastic athletics with a worthwhile, educational experience.
        2.     All sports have a defined-season, and no sport shall operate to the detriment of any other sport.
       3.     All students should have the opportunity to participate in as many interscholastic athletic experiences as is reasonably possible, and anything that serves to prevent this opportunity is contrary to the philosophy of PIAA.

 Section 2.  Rules and Regulations.

        As stated above, each sport has a defined-season which includes the first Practice day, the first Inter-School Practice or Scrimmage day, the first Regular Season Contest day, the last Regular Season Contest day, the District Deadline, the dates for PIAA Championships, the maximum number of Regular Season Contests and the maximum number of Regular Season Inter-School Practices or Scrimmages.  All member schools must comply with the defined-season for each sport.

        Within each defined-season, member schools may sponsor sports Teams which compete against other member schools or schools that follow all PIAA Policies and Procedures and Rules and Regulations. 

         A.  Out-of-Season Activities.

        Any sports activity that occurs outside of the defined-season for a sport is outside the jurisdiction of PIAA, except as set forth in this Section; in ARTICLE II, AMATEUR STATUS AND AWARDS; and in ARTICLE IX, REPRESENTATION, Section 2, All-Star Contests.
        Outside of the defined-season for sports:

        (a)   member schools may not sponsor Teams;

        (b)   member schools and coaches and/or students of member schools may be involved with sports activities such as training programs, recreational activities, Open Gyms, clinics, and camps provided that any participation by coaches and/or students is as private citizens and is voluntary as described below;

        (c)   coaches and/or students acting as private citizens, and on a voluntary basis, may participate on Teams that are not affiliated with their school or other member schools during the out-of-season period.  The coach or other personnel representing the school shall not require a student to participate in a sport or a training program for a sport outside of the PIAA-defined sport’s season.  The participation of students in any sports activity that occurs outside of its defined season must be voluntary.

        (d)   the school’s name, nickname, interscholastic athletic uniform, interscholastic athletic equipment, and interscholastic athletic health/first-aid supplies may not be used by community organizations and groups.  The school’s name, nickname and interscholastic athletic uniforms may not be used by students; however, the Principal, with the exception of football equipment, may permit students to use the school’s interscholastic athletic equipment and the school’s interscholastic athletic health/first-aid supplies.

         B.  Conclusion of Regular Season.

        Except as provided below, all activity in a sport, including Practice, shall terminate by the last Regular Season Contest day in that sport unless the Team is entered into District or Inter-District Championship Contests.  If the Team is entered into those Championship Contests, all activity in the sport must terminate on the day of elimination from such Championship Contests.

        With the approval of the District Committee, Regular Season Contests which have been postponed may be rescheduled and played between the last Regular Season Contest day in that sport and the District Deadline in that sport.  For purposes of the immediately preceding sentence, the date of playing of the last such postponed Regular Season Contest shall constitute the last Regular Season Contest day in that sport.

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