The Texas UIL Legislative Council met last week to make decisions on proposed rule changes in state academics, athletics, music and policy.
The Council approved a pilot program to allow sixth graders to participate in seventh or eighth grade athletics at Class 1A and Class 2A schools when those schools do not have enough athletes to field two teams in numerous team sports.
Additionally, the Council passed an amendment to authorize UIL staff to make rule changes to stay in compliance with legislation passed by the Texas Legislature.
The proposal, which will go into effect Aug. 1, was the only action item approved at the spring meeting of the council, however the organization agreed to study a proposal to add eSports competition and boys volleyball under the UIL’s umbrella.
The pilot program for sixth grade participation, would be permitted when “sixth grade participation would be vital to team sports” in order to field two teams in baseball, basketball, football, soccer or volleyball and would permit those students to participate in individual sports later that academic year.
The UIL Constitution has a prescribed number of participants for schools wishing to compete in those sports. In order to partake in the pilot program, the number must fall below that line.
Of the proposals provided from the public, a few turned heads, but the athletic committee either took no action or outright rejected them. Some of the proposals included banning cheerleaders from participating at basketball games, allowing football coaches to direct their school’s 7-on-7 summer team, prohibiting coaches from coaching their own children at the same school, prohibiting the use of train horns, allowing boys to participate in girls volleyball and adding girls lacrosse and table tennis as UIL sports.
The policy committee chose to make no changes to the 5A realignment structure, that has often been under fire due to metropolitan school districts opting several schools up.
Other items that will be studied by the UIL include: -Increasing the number of state qualifiers in tennis from two to three in all draws, eliminating the need for playback matches for state qualification.
-The addition of dance division to spirit competition.
-Linear broadcast of live high school football games.
The UIL announced that it would no longer require schools to give the organization 16% of gate receipts from boys and girls playoff basketball games.