GHSA delays football season by two weeks

The Georgia High School Association said last Monday that they still plan to play football this fall, but it will be a little later than originally scheduled.

At a meeting last Monday afternoon, the GHSA Board of Trustees unanimously approved a motion to delay the start of the 2020 football season by two weeks.

Conditioning still began as scheduled on July 27 while the first day in full pads will be this Friday, Aug. 1. Football scrimmages will now be allowed on Aug. 21 and Aug. 28 with the first games of the regular season slated for Sept. 4. All 10 regular season games were retained, as well as five weeks of the state playoffs.

According to the minutes of the meeting, BOT member Steven Craft, the Athletic Director for Fulton County Schools, said that it was clear that most everyone wanted to play in the fall, but that a two-week delay might be the best option for several school systems. Fellow BOT member, Atlanta Public Schools AD Jasper Jewell, said that his school system might have to completely cancel fall sports if the football season was not delayed by two weeks.

The minutes of the meeting are available at ghsa.net.

A motion to keep the schedule as is with no changes failed by an 8-4 vote, while another motion later on meeting to institute a two-week delay to the football regular season, passed by a 12-0 vote.

Multiple reports say all other GHSA fall sports (volleyball, cross country, softball, flag football) will be allowed to start at scheduled. Cross country, softball and volleyball will start practice on Aug. 1, while flag football practice will begin Oct. 5 for its first full season as a GHSA-sanctioned sport.

The dates for first contests in the other fall sports are Aug. 6 for fastpitch softball, Aug. 8 for cheerleading, Aug. 10 for volleyball and cross country and Oct. 12 for flag football.

According to the GHSA website, oneact plays, literary and riflery can also start practice on this Friday.