Sports will be played at high schools this fall in Kentucky after the KHSAA voted Tuesday to adopt the playing schedule for the coming months.
Soccer, volleyball, and cross country can begin practice Aug. 24 with a 7.5-hour limit per-week per athlete. Full practices can begin Aug. 31 with the first competitions slated for Sept. 7.
The dates and formats for the postseason will be determined at a later date. For soccer and volleyball that play in districts that seed its postseason tournaments, only the first game or match between teams will count toward the seeding.
Helmet-only practices for football will begin Aug. 24 with the first game set for Sept. 11. That means most schools will lose the first three games on the schedule. The 7.5 hour-per-week limit also applies to football practices.
The playoffs will begin Nov. 13 with schools able to schedule a game Nov. 6 to make up for a previously lost game. There are no changes to the postseason format for football meaning the top four teams in each district will advance to the playoffs.
Cheerleading can also begin practice Aug. 24 with the KHSAA recommending that all activity be held outdoors where proper safety equipment and conditions permit.
KHSAA Commissioner Julian Tackett told the board of control the state’s football coaches association recommended starting the season with the schedule in place regardless of the start date and not changing the postseason format.
The state finals will be moved to Dec. 11-12 at Kroger Field in Lexington.
Golf remains unchanged and is scheduled to begin its season Friday.
Tackett said the people he had discussions with were in favor of playing fall sports by a 9-1 margin.
“However, we have to be ready to pivot at a moment’s notice,” he told the board of control. “We have to be flexible.”
The board voted to allow out-of-state competition against schools in counties that only border Kentucky.
Also, the number of teams that can compete in a soccer, volleyball, or cheerleading competition at one location will be limited to eight. This does not apply to golf and cross country.
The KHSAA Board of Control will meet again Aug. 20 to evaluate where the state stands with COVID-19 numbers and whether it will affect the Aug. 24 start date for practices.
