Whether baseball will be subject to a contest limit such as exists for other sports will be voted on by Nebraska School Activities Association member schools shortly after the first of the year.  A proposal to impose a limit of twenty regular season game "dates" for baseball beginning with the 2010 season cleared its first legislative hurdle by being passed during First District Meetings last month in two of the four NSAA districts in which it was introduced.  The proposal now moves forward for voting in Second District Meetings in all six NSAA districts in early January.  Approval of the proposal by a majority vote in three or more of the districts in the January meetings automatically sends it on to the NSAA Representative Assembly in April for final action.  Approval in only one or two districts is likely to represent the death of the proposal, however, it could be revived and sent on to the Representative Assembly if five or more of the twelve members of the Legislative Commission vote to do so.  (The Legislative Commission consists of two representatives from each District.)

 

The initial step in the annual NSAA legislative process occurs prior to November 1st when each member school is allowed to submit proposals for additions or changes to the current NSAA Constitution, Bylaws or Approved Rulings, the latter being various rulemakings promulgated by the six member Board of Control (for example, the NSAA Baseball Manual is an Approved Ruling).  In November, school representatives in each of the six NSAA districts hear and vote on proposals for new legislation at their respective First District Meetings. 

 

This year baseball was the subject of a significant legislative proposal submitted by Neal Randel, activities director of Beatrice High School on October 1 (see related article).  Mr. Randel's proposal sought to impose a limit of seventeen on the number of "dates" on which regular season games could be played.  Double-headers would be counted as only one "date" as would tournaments.  The maximum number of tournaments allowed for a team would be capped at five.  The justification offered by Mr. Randel was that the proposal would "place a restriction on baseball with a schedule limitation similar to softball. It would keep students in class more. It would provide uniformity among all schools sponsoring baseball." 

 

Out of concern that Mr. Randel's proposal, which was not only submitted in Mr. Randel's District I but also by colleagues of Mr. Randel in District's II, IV and VI, was not only too restrictive but was also rapidly gaining momentum and was likely to be approved in one or more districts, Westside High School submitted an alternative proposal on  October 20th.  That alternative proposal put the limit at 20 game "dates" and a maximum of four tournaments. 

 

Although Westside's Activities Director Bob Reznicek introduced the twenty-date proposal, during the voting in Dr. Reznicek's District II meeting, he made clear to the assembled representatives of member schools that Westside preferred that the "status quo" of no game limits be preserved.  He emphasized that he was introducing the alternate proposal so that the voting in January would not just be between Mr. Randel's seventeen date proposal and the status quo -- which could lead to the seventeen date proposal being passed. 

 

At the District II meeting in November several athletic directors representing schools with baseball spoke out against having any contest limit for baseball, including Millard West's Steve Joekel, Papillion LaVista's Chuck Johnston and Omaha Northwest's Steve Eubanks.  Although no support for contest limits in baseball was voiced at the meeting, the vote in District II was 24-20 in favor of the twenty date proposal.  The outcome appeared to be influenced by Dr. Reznicek's explanation of his strategic reasons for submitting the proposal.  The seventeen game cap that was previously introduced in District II by a colleague of Mr. Randel's failed for lack of a second, and consequently, was not voted on.

 

Mr. Randel's seventeen date proposal was not passed in any of the four districts in which it was introduced, including his own District I.  The Westside twenty date alternative proposal was approved in Districts I and II.  Gering activities director Tom O'Boyle reported to this publication that the twenty date proposal was also approved by by District VI, but the NSAA website indicates that the proposal was approved only in Districts I and II.  Districts III and V did not vote on a contest limit proposal for baseball in First District Meetings since none was introduced in those Districts.  All six districts will vote on the Westside twenty-date proposal in January.

 

Here is the official wording of the Westside proposal, referred to as "Proposal J" under the heading of "Change of Athletic Bylaws"  (see NSAA Main Menu>About NSAA>Legislation>Proposals for Second District Meetings):

 

J. The proposal deals with: Yearbook: Article 3 Section:11.2.2 Page: 13 Manual: Baseball Pg: 5

3.11.2.2 No team representing a member school may participate in more than twenty dates in

addition to the state sponsored series of tournaments from the date of the first permitted contest to

the close of the State Baseball Tournament. Participation in any baseball tournament shall count as

one date of the twenty dates permitted in which the team participates. A team may not participate in

more than four tournaments, which includes the conference tournament.

Cost Analysis of Proposal: None

Rationale for the proposed change:

Presently there is no limit to the number of baseball games that a school may play. This proposal

places a restriction on baseball that is comparable to other sports yet takes into account the

unpredictable spring weather. This proposal could potentially assist in minimizing loss of school time

for the participants. The proposal would provide uniformity among all schools sponsoring baseball.

Proposal submitted by District I, II.

 

During the intervening weeks since the First District Meetings it is likely that considerable discussion has taken place to inform member schools in all districts that Westside's twenty game proposal was intended solely as a defensive tactic to avoid what was considered by many to be a very restrictive seventeen date limit.  Although the Westside proposal may have offered a limit that could be tolerated by some if there were widespread sentiment for the imposition of a contest limit for baseball, in fact, the status quo of no contest limits seems to the position that is widely preferred by baseball coaches based on our informal polling. 

 

The challenge for baseball people at this point will be to convince their colleagues in other districts that Nebraska high school baseball is better off without a contest limit.

 

The other proposal affecting baseball -- a proposal out of Scottsbluff to start practice for all spring sports two weeks later -- was modified and advanced as proposal to form a committee to study start dates of all spring sports. 

 

Also of interest in the January meetings will be a vote to do away with the geographic-based "Western" district in Class A basketball, volleyball, soccer and softball, and establish Wild Card Point standings as the exclusive basis for assigning teams to districts and seeding district tournaments.  Watch for this to be a contentious issue as the creation of a "protected" Western district was a key turning point in garnering support for the adoption in 2007 of the new district assignment scheme that is based on merit (Wild Card Points) rather than enrollment.

 

For those who wish to attend the Second District Meetings, please be aware that members of the public are allowed to attend but may not participate in discussion or voting.  Only representatives of member schools may do so.  The dates, times and locations of the meetings are as follows:

 

District	Date	Time	Location
I	Wed. Jan 7	12:30 pm	York Country Club
II	Wed. Jan 14	10:00 am	Boys Town National HQ
III	Tues. Jan 6	Noon	Norfolk Administration Bldg
IV	Wed. Jan 14	1:00 pm	Kearney Holiday Inn
V	Wed. Jan 14	1:00 pm	Holdrege, The Tassel
VI	Wed. Jan 14	9:00 am	Alliance Country Club