CHANGES COMING TO NYSPHSAA ATHLETICS (2022-08-02)

Tioga County Sports Report
LATHAM, N.Y. — The New York State Public High School Athletic Association Central Committee has granted emerging sport status to girls flag football and girls wrestling, and has also approved the addition of a sixth classification in some sports.

Emerging sport status is awarded when at least four of the 11 sections in New York have at least four teams competing in that particular sport. Being granted this status will result in a committee being formed for each sport and the possibility of a championship being developed.

Seven sports will add a Class AAA designation beginning with the 2023-24 school year. They are boys soccer, girls soccer, girls volleyball, boys basketball, girls basketball, baseball and softball. The new classification will not be added in other sports because not enough schools offer them.

In other changes:
Girls soccer will see a change to the overtime procedure in the regular season and postseason. Regular season games will consist of two 40-minute halves with two 10-minute sudden victory overtimes.

During sectional play and the state tournament, overtime will consist of two 15-minute sudden victory periods and, if still tied, penalty kicks. Should a state championship game result in a tie after the two sudden victory overtime periods, co-champions may be declared.

A new championship format was approved for boys and girls individual tennis. The consolation bracket has been eliminated and the top eight finishers will be awarded playoff medals.

Several items related to football were approved, including a change in the submission of officials for the state semifinals and finals. A one-year pilot program to use the standby official at the semifinals and finals as an on-field official was also approved.

Also approved were use of the NFHS rules for 8-man football with waivers and NYSPHSAA specific rules beginning this fall, as well as approval of the classification cut-off numbers for the 2023 season.

The committee approved a change to the jewelry rule for all sports. The rule falls in line with the rule posted by the National Federation of State High Schools. The previous rule allowed athletes to wear religious and medical jewelry only, with an approved waiver. The NFHS still bans all jewelry which poses a threat of injury to a player.

Among the Central Committee’s discussion items were:

Softball: Hold a two-day tournament in 2023. NYSPHSAA currently plays the semis and finals on the same day.

Game Day Cheer: The committee considered forming a state tournament in 2023.

Wrestling: The addition of officials for the individual tournament has been proposed.

Boys Soccer: The sport could see an increase in allowable yellow cards during postseason play. The girls opted not to adopt the rule change.

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2022-23 CHAMPIONSHIP DATES

Fall 2022

• Oct. 27-29: Girls Tennis Individual — Sportime, Schenectady (II)
• Oct. 29: Game Day Cheer East — Arlington High School, Arlington (I)
• Oct. 29: Game Day Cheer West — Visions FCU Memorial Arena, Binghamton (IV)
• Nov. 4 Girls Tennis Team — USTA National Tennis Center, Flushing
• Nov. 12: B/G Cross Country — Vernon-Verona-Sherrill HS, Vernon (III)
• Nov. 12-13: Girls Soccer — Various Sites in Cortland (III)
• Nov. 12-13: Boys Soccer — Middletown High School, Middletown (IX)
• Nov. 12-13: Field Hockey — Centereach High School, Centereach (XI)
• Nov. 18: Federation Cross Country — Bowdoin Park, Wappingers Falls (I) (Tentative)
• Nov. 19: Boys Volleyball — Capital Center, Albany (II)
• Nov. 19-20: Girls Volleyball — Cool Insuring Arena, Glens Falls (II)
• Nov. 18-19: Girls Swimming & Diving — Webster Aquatic Center, Webster (V)
• Nov. 25-26: Football East Semifinals — Middletown High School, Middletown (IX)
• Nov. 25-26: Football West Semifinals — Union Endicott High School, Endicott (IV)
• Dec. 2-4: Football Finals — JMA Wireless Dome, Syracuse (III)

Winter 2023

• Jan. 28: Wrestling (Dual Meet) — SRC Arena at Onondaga CC, Syracuse (III)
• Feb. 17-18: Girls Ice Hockey — Nexus Center, Utica (III)
• Feb. 24-25: Wrestling (Individual) — MVP Arena, Albany (II)
• Feb. 27-28: B/G Skiing — Bristol Mountain & Harriett Hollister (V)
• March 3-4: Boys Swimming & Diving — Ithaca College, Ithaca (IV)
• March 4: Girls Gymnastics — Kenmore West High School, Buffalo (VI)
• March 4: B/G Indoor Track & Field — Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex, Staten Island
• March 4: Competitive Cheer — Visions FCU Memorial Arena, Binghamton (IV)
• March 10-12: B/G Bowling — AMF Strike-N-Spare Lanes, Syracuse (III)
• March 11-12: Boys Ice Hockey — LECOM Harborcenter, Buffalo (VI)
• March 17-19: Girls Basketball — Hudson Valley Community College, Troy (II)
• March 17-19: Boys Basketball — Cool Insuring Arena, Glens Falls (II)
• March 24-26: B/G Federation Basketball Tournament of Champions — Site TBA

Spring 2023

• June (date TBA): Federation Golf Championships — TBA
• June 1-3: Boys Tennis Individual — USTA National Tennis Center, Flushing
• June 3-5: Girls Golf — Edison Club, Rexford (II)
• June 3-5: Boys Golf — Mark Twain Golf Course, Elmira (IV)
• June 7: Boys Lacrosse East Semis — University at Albany, Albany (II)
• June 7: Boys Lacrosse West Semis — SUNY Cortland, Cortland (III)
• June 9: Boys Tennis Team — USTA National Tennis Center, Flushing
• June 9-10: B/G Track & Field — Middletown High School, Middletown (IX)
• June 9-10: Baseball — Various Sites in Binghamton (IV)
• June 9-10: Girls Lacrosse — SUNY Cortland, Cortland (III)
• June 10: Boys Lacrosse Finals — Hofstra University, Hempstead (VIII)
• June 10: Softball — Moriches Athletic Complex, Brookhaven (XI)