Category Archives: Section XI News

Section XI News

Section XI Alumni: Carlock Vying for Giants Spot

Babylon’s Jake Carlock is still pushing for a roster spot with the New York Giants.

Not the biggest at 6-3, 225-pounds for a defensive end or linebacker, but he has found himself in the right spot at the right time throughout the pre-season.

His interception return for a touchdown against the Jets was enough to keep him on team brass radar. His work ethic has also helped.

The LIU Post product has one sack, and one tackle this pre-season.

We’ll post updates closer to the season as we learn if Carlock makes the 53-man roster, practice squad or is cut.

Section XI News

Section XI Heat Alert Policy

HEAT ALERT POLICY

1.  Modified Heat Alert – When the heat index reaches 88 (equivalent to T.H.I. of 73), practice sessions or contests in all sports must include:
a.  Forced, frequent water breaks (every 10-15 minutes).
b.  Loose clothing, light colored shorts and tee shirts (mesh recommended) for practice sessions.
c.  Frequent rest breaks in shaded areas.
d.  For football and lacrosse, mandatory water breaks every 15 minutes during which all players must remove helmets.  Those players not participating in contact activities during practice, games or scrimmages shall not wear helmets.

NOTE:  During all contests, the rules are to be modified to permit additional time outs for rest and forced water breaks.

2.  Full Heat Alert – When the heat index reaches 95 (equivalent to T.H.I. of 78),  no physical activity in any sport is permitted.  Team meetings are permitted.

3.  Notification of Schools – The Section XI Safety Chairman, will monitor the heat index and will initiate a heat alert by notifying the Section XI Office as to the course of action.  The Section XI staff will communicate this information to each member district through the Connect-Ed system, with specific instructions for heat alert implementation. (Rev 5/10)

4.  No sport is exempt from modified or full heat alerts.  (1/16/02)

PRE-SCHOOL PRACTICE HOURS

Fall season pre-school practice sessions may only be conducted prior to 10:00 AM and/or after 5:00 PM.  This applies to all sports except golf and swimming.  This restriction is discontinued for the fall season on the Saturday prior to each Labor Day.

Section XI News

CI Wins Town of Brookhaven Summer Hoops League

There was some incredible work being put in by Section XI student-athletes in their respective summer leagues.

Various sports have leagues through their townships – not through Section XI – and it serves as an incredible time for bonding and off-season conditioning.

Central Islip girls basketball won the Town of Brookhaven summer title.

If you would like your team featured on SectionXI.org, tweet out images and tag @SectXISuffolk.

Section XI News

Section XI Alumni: Harris Signs Extension with Philly

Half Hollow Hills alum Tobias Harris re-signed with the Philadelphia 76ers in the off-season.

“Signing Tobias and solidifying him as a foundational piece of our core for years to come was a top priority for our organization this summer,” said Philly General Manager Elton Brand. “His impact in our city extends far beyond his elite talents on the floor. He has ingrained himself in the community and established himself as a leader and driver of positive change. Tobias is a fierce competitor with a tireless work ethic and embodies all of the qualities of a franchise cornerstone. I couldn’t be happier to welcome Tobias and his entire family back to the 76ers and we all look forward to continuing our quest to win a championship for this city and our amazing fans.”

The following is from a Sixers press release:

Harris was originally acquired by Philadelphia in a Feb. 6 trade with the L.A. Clippers. Last season, he appeared in 82 games (all starts) and averaged career highs in scoring (20.0), rebounding (7.9) and assists (2.8) in 34.7 minutes per game. A talented shooter and scorer, Harris’ .487 field-goal percentage and .866 free-throw percentage both represented the highest marks of his career. Harris, who also shot .397 from three-point range in 2018-19, joined NBA All-Stars Kyrie Irving and Karl-Anthony Towns as the only three players in the league to average 20-plus points while shooting at least .480 from the field and .390 from three-point range.

Last month, USA Basketball announced that Harris was selected as one of 20 players who will attend the Aug. 5-9 USA Basketball Men’s National Team training camp that will be used to select the 2019 USA World Cup Team.

In all, Harris has seen action in 546 career games (426 starts) with the 76ers, L.A. Clippers, Detroit, Orlando and Milwaukee and holds averages of 15.4 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 30.4 minutes per game. He was originally selected by Charlotte with the No. 19 overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, before being traded to Milwaukee on draft night. A Long Island native, Harris spent one season at the University of Tennessee, before declaring for the draft.

Known for his passion and mentorship, Harris was a finalist for the 2018-19 NBA Cares Community Assist Award. Shortly after joining the 76ers, he hosted more than 40 girls from Team Up Philly for a “Game Changers: Women in Sports, Tech & Literacy” panel discussion to empower girls living in underserved Philadelphia neighborhoods to lead healthy, confident and successful lives. Additionally, he spearheaded the construction of a school in Haiti and gifted the students with new shoes and soccer equipment. Finally, he’s established The Tobias Harris Fellowship, which is designed to help underserved students and teachers receive quality education through access, enrichment and advocacy.

Section XI News

Restart Protocol Amended in High School Boys Lacrosse

Starting next year in high school boys lacrosse, play may be restarted with a defensive player within 5 yards of the player in possession of the ball. In such cases, defensive players must adhere to certain conditions or they may be subject to a delay-of-game technical foul.

The amended restart protocol was one of 10 rules changes recommended by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Boys Lacrosse Rules Committee at its July 15-17 meeting in Indianapolis. All rules changes were subsequently approved by the NFHS Board of Directors.

“The committee worked diligently in reviewing all proposals,” said Dr. James Weaver, NFHS director of performing arts and sports and liaison to the NFHS Boys Lacrosse Rules Committee. “Year after year, the game of high school boys lacrosse continues to improve and make positive strides.”

In a change to Rule 4-22-1, officials will no longer wait for defensive players to position themselves more than 5 yards from the player in possession of the ball when restarting play. While both offensive and defensive players are still required to move more than 5 yards away, two exceptions apply to defensive players only. Defensive players within 5 yards of the player in possession of the ball can avoid a delay-of-game technical foul by allowing the player a direct path to the goal and not defending that player until the player is 5 yards away from the defending player.

“This change allows for rapid restarts to increase pace of play while making the game more engaging,” Weaver said. “Additionally, the change balances technique between offense and defense.”

Under mandatory equipment listed in Rule 1-9-1, shoulder pads and chest protectors used by players must be designed for lacrosse. Additionally, goalkeepers must wear a chest protector designed for lacrosse that meets the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE) ND200 standard at the time of manufacture beginning January 1, 2021, while shoulder pads for field players must incorporate the NOCSAE ND200 lacrosse standard for chest protection beginning January 1, 2022.

NOCSAE ND200 protection will be available on the market for field players and goalkeepers this fall.

“Health and safety of players is of the utmost importance,” Weaver said. “The NOCSAE ND200 standard for lacrosse will provide valuable protection for all players in the game.”

In a change to Rule 5-5, the penalty for an illegal crosse is no longer a tiered penalty and is now a two-minute, nonreleasable penalty – regardless of the infraction.

Throwing a crosse, referenced in Rules 5-10 and 6-5-2, is now an infraction in all cases. Throwing the crosse at a ball, player or other game personnel is considered unsportsmanlike conduct, which is met with a one- to three-minute non-releasable penalty and in all other cases falls under illegal procedure.

Under the Chief Bench Official’s (CBO) responsibilities in Rule 2-7-2, the CBO is no longer responsible for penalizing a team with too few players on the field. However, delayed substitutions — when a player gains an advantage by delaying entry onto the field — still fall under the CBO’s duties.

The committee eliminated three definitions under “Play of the Ball Definitions” in Rule 4-5 – ball in flight, team possession and completed pass, which were deemed to no longer be needed.

Changes to Rules 6-1-1 and 6-2-1 focus on streamlining changes made to the slow-whistle technique in Rule 7-8-2 over the past two seasons.

Finally, Rule 4-24 clarifies that a time-out for a player with symptoms consistent with a concussion is an official’s time-out, not a team time-out.

A complete listing of the boys lacrosse rules changes will be available on the NFHS website at www.nfhs.org. Click on “Activities & Sports” at the top of the home page and select “Lacrosse-Boys.”

According to the 2017-18 NFHS High School Athletics Participation Survey, there are 113,313 boys participating in lacrosse at 2,957 high schools across the country.

Section XI News

NYSPHSAA Central Committee Recap

The New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) is holding its annual summer meeting of the Central Committee on July 30-31 in Verona, NY. The primary focus of the meeting is to vote on proposals, listen to discussion items pertaining to interscholastic athletics and to afford superintendents, principals, athletic representatives, and section executive directors the opportunity to meet in small groups.

The Central Committee approved the revision of classification cut off numbers (effective Fall 2020) and a policy for combined practices in the sport of football. The Central Committee also approved the institution of a penalty for practicing on courts at the Girls Tennis Championships. Additionally, in the sport of boys volleyball, a pool play tie breaking procedure was approved for the 2019-2020 season; reverting back to the previous procedure. A number of proposals in modified sports were approved by the Committee.

Other approved items include the creation of an Annual Officials Appreciation Day, which will take place on the Wednesday of Week #13 of the NYSPHSAA Standard Calendar. This year, Officials Appreciation day will be celebrated on Wednesday, October 2nd, 2019. The Committee also approved the addition of Unified Basketball and Unified Bowling to the Scholar-Athlete program.

DAY 2 RECAP

The Central Committee approved Ithaca College as the host site for the 2021-2023 Boys Swimming and Diving Championships. Kenmore West High School was approved as the host of the 2021 Girls Gymnastics Championships. A proposal to host the Boys Golf Championship at Cornell University on week 47 (one week earlier than the traditional week the event is held) of the NYSPHSAA standard calendar was defeated by a vote of 24-22. As a result, the NYSPHSAA office will re-bid the tournament in an effort to secure a venue to host the championship on week #48 of the standard calendar. The Committee approved the girls volleyball regional rotation listed on page 90 of the agenda.

A proposal to make a significant change to the transfer rule that would allow student-athletes to participate at the sub-varsity level was approved by a 35-11 vote. The proposal will allow students in grades 7-10 who are ineligible, as per the NYSPHSAA Transfer Rule, to practice and participate at the sub-varsity level during their period of ineligibility; non-corresponding transferring students in grades 11 and 12 who are ineligible, as per the Transfer Rule, would be limited to practice only.

The proposal to follow NFHS rules in the sport of ice hockey and play 17-minute periods for the 2019-20 season was defeated by an 18-16 vote with 12 abstentions by three sections who do not have hockey. A proposal to increase the number of games/contests with restrictions on the number of scrimmages was defeated 26-20. By a 26-20 votes, the committee defeated a proposal to revise the prescribed penalty for exceeding the maximum number of games or contests.

The Committee approved increasing the filing fee to $500.00 and require a unanimous decision by the NYSPHSAA appeals panel to overturn a sections decision. The creation of a NYSPHSAA Foundation was approved. A committee will be created by presidential appointment to discuss the formation, structure and operation of the NYSPHSAA Foundation.

The 2019 Central Committee meeting concludes with the 2019 NYSPHSAA Hall of Fame Banquet Wednesday evening. The 2020 Central Committee meeting will take place July 28-29 at the High Peaks Resort in Lake Placid.

Section XI News

Free Movement Approved in High School Girls Lacrosse

INDIANAPOLIS, IN (July 23, 2019) — Allowing players to freely move around the playing field after a whistle is one of 12 changes to high school girls lacrosse rules approved for the 2020 season.

All rules changes recommended by the joint National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) and US Lacrosse (USL) Girls Lacrosse Rules Committee at its June 17-19 meeting in Indianapolis were subsequently approved by the NFHS and USL Boards of Directors.

“The committee addressed topics ranging from equipment requirements to the philosophical change to free movement with intention and extraordinary attention to detail,” said Lindsey Atkinson, NFHS director of sports/communications associate and liaison to the Girls Lacrosse Rules Committee. “The commitment of the joint NFHS/USL committee to do what is best for high school girls lacrosse was evident in both the content of their discussion and the outcomes of their hard work.”

The change to free movement impacts several areas of the NFHS/USL Rules Book. Rules 5-1-2 and 5-1-3 have been adjusted to eliminate the requirement for players to stand in place after an official’s whistle.

Free movement allows players to freely move around the playing field, instead of being required to hold their positions on stoppages including possession time-outs (Rule 4-3-3), injury time-outs (Rule 4-2-3), major and minor fouls (Rule 5-3-1), when the ball goes out of bounds (Rule 6-3-1) and free position or alternating-possession restarts (Rule 10-1).

“This will be an exciting rule change for the high school game, one which we believe will enhance the athlete experience on the field and ease the workload on officials to monitor players off the ball,” said Caitlin Kelley, US Lacrosse women’s lacrosse director and the USL liaison to the Girls Lacrosse Rules Committee. “The rules committee prioritizes safety, integrity of the game, pace of place and growth. We want our student-athletes to love the game and attract new players to the sport too.”

Additionally, in Rule 4-3-3, players may now be substituted for during a possession time-out, except for the player being awarded the ball and the offender.

Rule 5-4-4 has been amended to allow self-starts on boundary restarts. On boundary restarts, opponents must give the player in possession of the ball at least two meters — an additional meter from the previous requirement (Rule 6-3-1b).

When a stoppage in play causes the ball to become dead that was in the critical scoring area, Rules 4-3-3, 5-1-3, 5-3-1 and 7-3 PENALTY now indicate play will resume on the closet dot.

“The impact of free movement on the rules is complex,” Atkinson said. “The committee was diligent in addressing each impacted rule to ensure a comprehensive implementation of the concept into the high school game.”

Self-starting when self-start is not an option is now considered a major foul in Rule 10-1 under false starts. Additionally, under major fouls, a check to the neck is now included under check to the head with a mandatory card assessed.

Rule 5-2-2 was amended to allow any number, up to 12 players from each team, on the field prior to the start of each draw. Prior to the change, each team was required to have 12 players on the field unless a team could not do so legally.

Changes to Rules 2-2-5 and 2-4-3 amend crosse and stick requirements. A crosse now meets specifications if the ball moves freely in the front of the pocket, removing the requirement for the back of the pocket. Additionally, during stick checks, game officials will ensure that the ball rolls out of the back of the pocket when placed in the upper third of the head at its widest point and the stick and head are tilted 90 degrees.

“The committee felt that it was important to separate the performance requirements of the front and back face of the head during stick checks,” Atkinson said. “This change simply distinguishes the differences in performance and clarifies the stick check process.”

In a change to Rule 2-7-4, equipment cannot be modified from its original manufactured state and it must be worn in the manner the manufacturer intended.

Rule 2-7-2 now requires that all eyewear worn on the playing field bear the SEI (Safety Equipment Institute) mark for certification by January 1, 2025. Eyewear must still be SEI certified for the 2020 season; the requirement for a physical mark on the eyewear does not take effect until 2025. All approved eyewear is listed on the SEI website at www.seinet.org.

“SEI certification and the ASTM standard remain the same and an important part of maintaining safety for our student-athletes,” Kelley said. “The rules committee extended the requirement of the physical markings on the eyewear in order to minimize unnecessary cost to the consumers.”

A change to Rule 6-3-2 clarifies that a player’s body or crosse that is inbounds and nearest to the ball determines possession of the ball when play resumes.

In a tweak to Rule 9-1, the description of the minor foul, covering, is now described as covering a ground ball, instead of guarding. Additionally, preventing an opponent from playing the ball by covering the ball with the body now constitutes a minor foul. Previously, using a foot or crosse to guard a ground ball was a minor field foul.

Rule 2-8-4 now prohibits the use of video replay to review an official’s decision, consistent with other NFHS rules.

The final rules change adjusts Rule 10-1 regarding the free position after a major foul. The free position will now be taken on the 12-meter fan closest to the spot of the foul.

A complete listing of the girls lacrosse rules changes will be available on the NFHS website at www.nfhs.org. Click on “Activities & Sports” at the top of the home page and select “Lacrosse-Girls.”

According to the 2017-18 NFHS High School Athletics Participation Survey, there are 96,904 girls participating in lacrosse at 2,781 high schools across the country.