On May 3, the IHSAA Board of Directors proposed and approved a variety of rule changes for the 2010-11 edition of the IHSAA By-Laws. One that will have a major impact on girls basketball is the prohibition of any type of “athletic activities, tryouts, auditions, practices and games held or sponsored by non-professional organizations or their representatives during the contest season.”

In-sport games of any type during the corresponding high school season have been prohibited by the IHSAA for quite some time. But, if my interpretation of this new rule is correct, no longer will club teams be able to hold tryouts, workouts or practices during the official season, which runs from the first day of practice in October all the way through the day of the state finals in March.

This type of extra-curricular, in-season activity has become a common practice — and not necessarily a good one — during the past few years. With the incentive of increasing their chances to join some of the higher profile off-season teams, players have been pressured into doing double duty by trying out, working out or practicing with club teams on Sundays or other available days while meeting the demands of the regular high school basketball season.

This move by the IHSAA is a good one for those players who are already stressed and stretched to the max with high school ball and studies from October to March. This is a period of time when their focus should be with their school team.

One tweak the IHSAA might have made with regard to the rule is for players whose teams are eliminated early in IHSAA tournament play. Even though their high school season will be effectively finished, those players will not be able to participate in any type of organized workouts or practices with a club team until after the state finals.  Players eliminated early will need to take it upon themselves to stay in game-playing shape until the prohibited period is over.

Other rule changes of note:

• All team sports, including girls basketball, will be reclassified every two years instead of every four years.
• View the complete list of IHSAA rule changes for 2010-11. (PDF)