OHSAA Football Preseason Notebook; Fall Sports Practices Set to Begin Thursday
714 schools sponsoring football, vying for 224 football playoff spots
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Practices are slated to begin Thursday, Aug. 1, for member schools of the Ohio High School Athletic Association in the sports of girls tennis, golf, cross country, field hockey, soccer and volleyball. In addition, schools that begin classes Aug. 16 or earlier may begin football practice Thursday, Aug. 1, while all other all schools may begin football practice Monday, Aug. 5.
Of the OHSAA’s 821 member schools, 714 sponsor football teams, with a goal of being among the 224 playoff qualifiers when the final computer ratings are announced Sunday morning, Nov. 3. The OHSAA’s football postseason field expands to seven divisions this fall after having six divisions from 1994-2012. Eight qualifiers in each region (four regions per division) will earn playoff berths, except in Division I, where there are only two regions and thus there will be 16 regional qualifiers. See the link below for the regional maps.
During the 2013 playoffs, divisions II, III, IV and VI will play on Friday nights, while divisions I, V and VII will play on Saturday nights. One of the divisions playing on Friday night will play its state championship game on Thursday, Dec. 5. The other Friday divisions will play their state championship games on Friday, Dec. 6, while the Saturday divisions will play their state championships on Saturday, Dec. 7. Game times will be announced after the state semifinals. The state championship games will be at Canton Fawcett Stadium and Massillon Paul Brown Tiger Stadium before moving to Ohio Stadium in Columbus for 2014 and 2015.
Type the first few letters of the desired school into the search bar and click “Search.” Then click the “School Information” link toward the upper right of the school’s page, then scroll down for the list of sports on the lower left side. Click the desired sport for the season schedule.
The OHSAA’s 2013 football manual contains a wealth of information for coaches, schools, fans and media, including:
- Page 2: Five-day acclimation period description, mandatory days off, etc.
- Pages 2-3: Heat index chart and instructions … also see pages 21-23
- Page 4: Junior high football notes
- Pages 4-5: Hydration and weight charts instructions
- Page 6: 2013 preseason calendar
- Page 7: Concussion management instructions … also see page 30
- Page 24: Lightning and inclement weather regulations
- Throughout Manual: Game management instructions and reminders
Coming Soon: The OHSAA’s first statewide football scoreboard … details coming in August
The OHSAA’s football home includes the playoff regional maps and divisional breakdowns, the new 2013 playoff format, NFHS rules changes release, the state record book and all-time AP final polls and All-Ohio teams.
All-Time Football Playoff History Database:
http://www.ohsaa.org/sports/history/FT/FootballParticipants.pdf
NOCSAE Statement Regarding Helmet Add-On Products:
Statewide Football Audio Broadcasts:
http://www.ohsaa.org/sports/ft/boys/OHSAAFootballRadioListing.pdf
