The Van Wert County Courthouse

Friday, Mar. 29, 2024

OHSAA fall sports practices begin

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent sports editor

Summer conditioning programs and off-season coaching have concluded, giving way to the start of practices for fall sports around the state of Ohio.

High school football practices began this morning, with practices for all other fall sports – cross country, golf, soccer, girls tennis and volleyball slated to begin tomorrow.

For football, a five-day acclimatization period is required 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, and full pads may be worn on the fifth day. Full contact is permitted on day number six of practices. When more than one practice takes place in a day, full contact is permitted only during one of the practices.

The Ohio High School Athletic Association has also added certain rules and guidelines for all indoor and outdoor practices, based on weather conditions and the heat index.

Football scrimmages may begin August 8, and most schools will kick off the 2017 high school football season on August 25. The regular season will end October 28, with playoff action scheduled to start on November 3. This year, all playoff games will take place on Friday nights, as opposed to Friday and Saturday nights. After three years at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, state championship football games will be played November 30 through December 2 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium (formerly Fawcett Stadium) in Canton.

Other fall sports may begin considerably sooner. Boys and girls golf may start as early as August 4, girls tennis may begin August 11, and varsity volleyball is allowed to begin August 19.

POSTED: 07/31/17 at 7:00 am. FILED UNDER: Sports