RENTON The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association Representative Assembly approved a slate of new amendments earlier this month, impacting middle and high school students alike.

Of the 23 proposed amendments being voted on by the WIAA Representative Assembly the associations legislative body consisting of 53 school administrators across the state this year, 18 were approved with the minimum 60% approval necessary, the WIAA announced May 11. All but one of the amendments are going into effect either immediately or during the 2020-21 school year.

The amendment not going into effect until 2024 the beginning of the next classification cycle is a rule that allows 2B schools to utilize the free and reduced lunch enrollment count that went into effect for 1A, 2A, 3A and 4A schools this school year. The initial rule passed last January was what allowed Ilwaco High School to move down from the 1A to 2B classification beginning this school year.

By taking advantage of the rule, IHS went from being one of schools in 1A with the lowest enrollment counts to being one of the schools in 2B with the highest enrollment counts. Depending on how IHS enrollment level and its free and reduced lunch figure changes in the next several years, the school may not be given the option to remain in 2B.

One of the more eye-catching amendments approved by the WIAA Representative Assembly is the amendment that opens the door to allow sixth graders to participate in sports or activities alongside seventh and eighth graders except for football. The amendment was approved with 32 votes, the minimum number of votes needed to be passed.

In order for sixth graders to move up and play with seventh and eighth graders, approval from the schools principal, the school districts superintendent and the school board is required, as is the approval from the league and the WIAA District Board.

The rule is similar in nature to one that allows seventh and eighth graders to participate in a WIAA-sanctioned sport at the high school level if that sport isnt available for them to participate in at their middle school.

Two new amendments giving the WIAA more power to impose discipline upon athletes and coaches were easily approved by the assembly.

As it stands, the first ejection of the season results, at a minimum, in the ejected person athlete, coach or other school representative being ineligible for the following contest in that sport. The first newly approved amendment allows WIAA staff to increase a suspension based upon the aggressive conduct, inappropriate language and/or circumstances following an ejection.

The second amendment passed by the assembly this year allows the WIAA to review video submitted by an appealing school, and gives WIAA staff the authority to suspend a participant if they believe their behavior warranted an ejection but went unseen by the officials at the time of the contest.

Several amendments were also passed that affect just a single sport, including football, basketball and wrestling.

After changes made at the collegiate level several years ago, the WIAA is now following suit in utilizing a 30-second shot clock for both boys and girls basketball. Previously, boys basketball games were played using a 35-second shot clock while girls basketball games used a 30-second shot clock. Backcourt violations are also in effect for both boys and girls games now, after previously only being enforced in boys games.

In a continued effort to address player safety in football, a new amendment only allows teams to have one full-contact practice during a two-a-day workout. The other practice must be no-contact.

A new amendment will also permit 1B schools to field a six-person football team, rather than the typical eight-person team. The rule is designed to help teams with low-turnout numbers that otherwise may have a hard time fielding an eight-person team. Teams that opt for the six-person option will only be allowed to suit up a maximum of 16 players during a game. Naselle, state runner-ups last season, are expected to continue to field an eight-person team.

A new wrestling amendment increases the number of matches a wrestler can participate in during a single day, from five to six matches. The previous figure, five matches per day, is based off of the wrestling rule book from the National Federation of State High Schools.

Another wrestling amendment scraps a rule that previously required a wrestler to participate in a minimum of four sanctioned matches in order to participate in postseason tournaments. There is now no set number of matches a wrestler must compete in in order to qualify for entry into postseason competition.

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New WIAA amendments to have far reaching impacts - Chinook Observer