CIF delays decision on high school sports until Jan. 1

Photo: CIF-Southern Section

Michael Huntley December 1, 2020 @ 10:30 PM

The California Interscholastic Federation announced Tuesday that it does not expect updated guidelines from California Department of Health officials until January 1st at the earliest. This announcement effects the start dates for competition and practices for fall sports. State officials said they are canceling state and regional playoffs for the first season, which includes include cross country, boys and girls water polo, girls volleyball and football. The state release said that boys volleyball, originally scheduled to start this month, would move to season two. https://twitter.com/CIFState/status/1333909048413089797?s=20 “We feel for our student-athletes and all the coaches and everyone involved that wants to get back on the field, the pool and the gym, we understand their frustration,” CIF State executive director Ron Nocetti said. “When we made the decision to set the calendar in July, we all knew there could very well be another surge, but we had to at least try. But without updated guidance, we can’t play at this time and we’re hopeful we get guidance soon so we can work with our sections and membership on a path forward.” Two weeks ago, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a delay in new guidance because of a recent spike in coronavirus cases. Football teams were scheduled to begin practices on Dec. 14, with other season one sports practices also scheduled to start this month. This additional delay will put in jeopardy nonleague football games that were scheduled to begin Jan. 7-8. Nocetti addressed the possibility of football being pushed back into the spring like boys volleyball was. “I don’t see football moving back to that time period simply because it’s not just about football,” he said. “If you move football back to the spring, you have to move every sport from Season 1 (fall) back to the spring. The other sports want a season just as much as football, and that’s what it comes down to. “And when it comes to football, we start football again (for the fall season) in late July and early August, and that’s a factor too.” https://twitter.com/CIFSS/status/1333919005908758529?s=20 Some sections, including the LA City Section and the Southern Section, have bylaws which require football teams to have four weeks of preparation including contact with pads prior to playing a game.