July 1 or sooner target for a restart

Final decision still rests with governor

The PIAA ruled in April that no high school sports teams in Pennsylvania could have group workouts or practices until July 1, at the earliest, because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now the PIAA is willing to let teams begin workouts before July 1, but ultimately it will be the call of Gov. Tom Wolf.

The PIAA board of directors had a meeting on Zoom video Wednesday and decided that teams could begin workouts earlier than July 1 if they are in a county that is put in the “green phase” by Wolf.

The board also passed a motion that gives PIAA executive director Bob Lombardi the authority to establish guidelines for teams to start workouts, provided they are in “green phase” counties.

“It could be earlier than July 1 if decisions are made. Maybe we’re moving into that phase,” Lombardi said.

Lombardi said he doesn’t want to give false hope to athletes and coaches in the state, but also said, “I’m cautiously optimistic and very hopeful. That’s my gut feeling.”

WPIAL teams should view the PIAA meeting Wednesday as a bit of positive news because all of Western Pennsylvania will be in the “yellow phase” as of Friday. Much of eastern Pennsylvania is still in the “red phase.” The PIAA will not, however, take an “all-or-none” approach to allowing teams to start workouts. Although an official vote wasn’t taken, a number of board members

spoke up on the matter of letting teams start workouts county by county.

Bob Hartman, board member and also the athletic director at Whitehall High School near Allentown, gave a passionate plea to let some schools start workouts, even if some others can’t.

“In any phase, if [workouts are] permitted, we should allow it,” Hartman said. “I mean, I know that’s not permitted in yellow. But in two weeks, maybe it could be allowed in yellow, with 10 or less people. If it is permitted, let’s allow it.

Why should we deny kids if they’re permitted?”

Lombardi said: “I think the board gets a bad rap that they don’t care. But you saw and heard how committed they are to get the kids back to doing what they like to do — play athletics. That’s why this whole scenario for the past eight weeks has been gutwrenching for all of us.”

The National Federation of State High School Associations on Monday gave all state associations guidelines for starting workouts and practices once states re-open. The guidelines call for three phases of going back to practices and games. The first does not allow basketball players to pass the ball at a workout, or a football player to hand off. But Lombardi said the PIAA wouldn’t necessarily follow the NFHS guidelines.

“That’s a resource. It’s not necessarily a mandate,” Lombardi said.

“It’s something to consider.”

A two-game suspension

The PIAA passed, on a first-reading basis, a new rule that would give a twogame suspension to athletes or coaches who are ejected from a game for excessive foul language or making contact with an official.

This must pass two more readings.

Under current rules, an athlete or a coach is ineligible for one game if they are ejected. The PIAA is calling the extra game a “supplemental” suspension, but it will only be applied for language and making contact with an official.

The PIAA said it decided on the additional suspension because of the rise in ejections the past few years, especially in football.

Girls in boys golf

The PIAA passed, on a third and final reading, a new rule that makes female golfers play from the same tees as the boys when playing in boys individual championships. In the past, when a girl played in boys individual championships, she played from tees 15% percent closer to the hole.

However, the new rule does not apply when girls are playing in boys team matches. In those matches, girls will still use tees 15% closer to the hole.

Lincoln Park in 4A

The Lincoln Park boys basketball team lost an appeal to the PIAA’s new competition formula rule that bumps the team up to Class 4A next season.