Illinois approves contact restrictions for high school football

The Illinois High School Association has approved new rules beginning with the upcoming football season that will limit the number of hours and days each week that a team can have live contact during full-pad practices.

During the season, teams will only be permitted to have three days of live full contact per week, with the full-contact sessions for all three days not exceeding 90 minutes. Additionally, preseason two-a-days can include just one practice with live contact in full pads.

The recommendations were made jointly by the association’s Sports Medicine Advisory Committee and Football Advisory Committee. The IHSA reviewed the recommendations in April before approving them this week.

“The IHSA has been an innovator on player safety throughout its history,” said IHSA Executive Director Marty Hickman. “We appreciate the efforts of the medical professionals and high school football coaches who worked together on these changes in order to keep the safety of Illinois high school students at the forefront.”

“I am proud to be part of the proactive approach the IHSA continues to make for student-athlete safety,” said Wauconda Principal and IHSA Board President Dan Klett. “As a former coach, and a parent of a current high school football player, it is imperative to me that we listen to the all the invested parties, from a state and national perspective, to make sports as safe as possible.”

Illinois joins several other states that have placed limits on high school football practices, including New Jersey, North Carolina and California.