High school football in Michigan will not return this fall, but teams can continue to work out, according to guidelines released Thursday, August 20 by the Michigan High School Athletic Association.
The MHSAA said football teams will be allowed 16 days of voluntary practice for use between August 24-October. 31. Players will be allowed to wear helmets but no pads within that time frame, provided the school gives its approval and all COVID-19 safety protocols are followed.
Beginning Nov. 1, teams can do skill work with coaches and up to four players at a time until the first official practice day in the spring, when the football season will begin after they are postponed. Coaches can work with an unlimited number of players on conditioning until the spring practice begins.
The MHSAA said it would release the springboard timeline at a later date.
Teams began practicing minus pads Aug. 10 before the MHSAA announced Aug. 14 that it was postponing the season until the spring due to concerns about coronavirus. However, teams were allowed to continue conditioning this week.
The MHSAA said it heard from “several schools and individuals about the need for students to stay connected with school coaches for various wellness and mental health reasons,” according to a press release. “This fee for football is trying to address this concern.”
Players moving to another state to play football in the fall will not be allowed to play in Michigan during the spring season per the MHSAA Handbook, according to the press release.
“Our board has made it clear that it is ready to offer students these opportunities, pending approval from Gov. Whitmer that we can do so,” MHSAA Executive Director Mark Uyl said in a prepared statement. ‘We are told that within a week future guidance will address athletic issues that exist in current executive assignments.
“We are waiting for that guidance.”
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