In today’s world, high football coaches like Richmond’s Paul Hoggard are faced with restrictions on the amount of practice time, the equipment the players can wear and when the players can have body-to-body contact.
“Everybody has the same rules, so it all balances out, so no one has an advantage,” Hoggard said about the football practice guidelines established by the North Carolina High School Athletic Association.
For the first three days of a school’s football practice, a team is limited to one two-hour practice a day in helmets, shorts, t-shirts and football shoes. During the next three days, teams are still limited to one two-hour practice a day, but shoulder pads may be added to a player’s attire.
After completing six full days of practice and beginning on the seventh day, teams can have two-a-days, issue complete uniforms and have full-contact drills. However, only one of the practices can be full-contact and the second daily practice must again be in shorts, helmets, shoulder pads, t-shirts and football shoes and only 90 minutes.
According to the NCHSAA Associate Executive Director Rick Strunk, the practice schedules were designed to keep players healthy and work themselves into football shape.
“(The guidelines) came from a study and a discussion from our sports medicine committee,” Strunk said. “We need have an 11-day process, but it was cut down to nine days.”
Strunk added the reason for trimming two days from the process was because of a school’s ability to have sessions during the summer and “open to all, but not required” team workouts.
“Players are coming to the first practice in better shape,” Strunk said.
Part of the reason for the association having guidelines for practices not only for football, but the other sports as well is to keep players healthy.
Last summer, a high school football player in Louisville, Ky. died from complications from heat stroke while at a practice and another player in Fort Campbell, Ky. passed away last week after coaches noticed he was “disoriented” at practice.
The NCHSAA issued a reminder to its member schools to take extra caution regarding the heat and humidity during its practices for the fall sports.
Even though the guidelines can handcuff coaches from accomplishing all they would like to do in practice, Hoggard said it’s not a bad thing.
“Anything that keeps our kids safer, then I’m all for it,” he said.
Strunk added the NCHSAA reviews its guidelines and policies each year to see if changes are warranted.
“Even though coaches may want some additional practice time, there really hasn’t been too many complaints,” Struck said. “Granted, three weeks may not be ideal for the coaches, but really it’s just about right at this level.”
Hoggard added Richmond is able to take advantage of the NCHSAA which does not count the time used for stretching, calisthenics, classroom sessions or film reviews towards the time limit for practice.
“We never really practice that long,” Hoggard said. “We are fortunate because we have coaches for all of the positions. What we do is tell the kids how to do it on the inside, and then show them how to do it outside. There is a big difference between the inside work and the outside work.
“We feel if you can’t get it done in two hours, then it’s not going to get done.”
Another concept which the NCHSAA has adopted over the years is allowing teams to schedule 11 games over a 12-week period.
Hoggard likes having the chance for his team to be able to lick its wounds for a week before going back into battle. This season, the Raiders’ bye week comes before opening play in the new Southeastern Conference.
“We needed it (the bye) last year, we were missing nine starters,” Hoggard said. “I like where it is (this year) being in the middle. The schedule worked out for us, but it also depends on how your season is going. If you lose a game before the break, you have to think about for another week.
“I would rather just go back out and play the next week. Or if you are playing really well, you have to take the next week off.”
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