CLEVELAND, Ohio — On the heels of the National Federation of State High School Athletic Association's recommendations for high school football, New Jersey is making a dramatic change of its own.
That state is limiting full-contract drills to 15 minutes per week, according to a report by The New York Times.
The state already permitted its schools just 90 minutes of full-contact per week. Preseason full-contact drills, which were unlimited, will now be just six total hours. That includes scrimmages.
This development comes in the same week that the NFHS approved recommendations for member schools that include changing the 25-second play clock to 40 seconds and instant replay for the playoffs. The OHSAA is adopting most of these recommendations with an exception for instant replay.
OHSAA guidelines on full-contact practice are not nearly as restrictive as New Jersey. During the preseason, full contact is permitted during one of the standard two sessions most teams have during August. Some schools have shifted to one session.
During the season, full contact is limited to 30 minutes per practice or 60 minutes per week. Many programs reserve contact for Tuesday and Wednesday practices, while some have abandoned it altogether.
Read the OHSAA guidelines here.
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