New Jersey drastically reduces contact before, during season

NE WA RK ,N. J. » The executive committee of the organization that governs New Jersey high school athletes has approved a proposal to drastically reduce contact in football before and during the season.

The proposal passed Wednesday by the executive committee of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association reduces in-season full contact from 90 minutes per week to 15 and preseason full contact from unlimited to 6 hours total, including scrimmages.

There will be no change in the existing ban on full contact in the spring and summer.

The amount of contact is less than mandates or recommendations by the NFL, NCAA, Ivy League, USA Football, Pop Warner or any other football jurisdiction, the NJSIAA said in a news release.

The limits won’t take effect until the executive committee has a second reading of the proposal in April and votes again. The vote Wednesday was unanimous.

The new regulations were proposed in July by the New Jersey Football Coaches Association and Practice Like Pros, a national movement to reduce injury in high school football. The NJSIAA’s sports medical advisory committee approved it in October and sent it to the executive committee.

A similar contact-limits proposal is moving forward in Michigan.

The NJSIAA uses the honor system for its rules.

“Congratulations and thank you to the NJSIAA and NJFCA,” said Terry O’Neil, founder of Practice Like Pros. “This is a Valentine for the 23,000 boys who play New Jersey high school football.”