Washington HS football coaches required to share film before playoff game

October 4, 2018 / Football

The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) has adopted a rule that requires football coaches to share film with their first-round playoff foes.

Coaches who fail to comply with the new mandate will be barred from leading their teams in the postseason game. The state recently adopted a seeding format for the high school football playoffs, and the WIAA worried that teams would have little time to prepare for the first-round game. After the brackets are announced at the end of the season, teams have 30 minutes to send film to their opponent.

From The Seattle Times:

“It know it caused some anxiety with coaches seeing this new process,” said Lind-Ritzville athletic director Greg Whitmore, who is also part of the Executive Committee.

Another reason for the new rule is to keep things fair.

“We’d see a lot more inequity if we left it to the status quo,” Whitmore said.

Some coaches refuse to share film. Some leagues, either written or unspoken, have rules not allowing their coaches to share with other leagues, Whitmore said.

Specifically, coaches are required to send film of their last three games to opponents. The widespread use of programs like Hudl should make it relatively easy for coaches to share it before the 30-minute deadline.

Read the full story from The Seattle Times.