§127-3-23. Football.

23.1. Rules: Football rules published by the National Federation of State High School Associations are the official rules for all interscholastic competition unless otherwise provided by Commission modification.

23.2. Organized Team Practice: Organized team conditioning practice will begin on Monday of Week 5 and the first contest may be played on the Friday of Week 8.

23.2.1. The Board of Directors, upon written request, may grant permission for a football team to play its first game one day earlier if the playing field is used by more than one high school.

23.2.2. The following table establishes for senior high school the first date pads with no live contact, first date to use pads with total contact, earliest date for scrimmage or Grid-O-Rama, date for first contest and date season must be completed.

23.2.3. Individual students of a team must have practiced on 14 SEPARATE days, exclusive of the day of a contest, before participating in an interscholastic contest.

23.2.4. No in season football camps sponsored by a member school or by other school related organizations where football coaching and instruction are given are permitted.

23.2.5. The use of football uniforms, protective equipment, tackling or blocking dummies, charging sleds, or similar devices are strictly prohibited during the conditioning program. However, during the DATE OF PADS NO LIVE CONTACT, the use of sleds, shields and blocking dummies will be allowed. The purpose of this period is to permit gradual adaptation of the students to carrying the weight of their pads and adjusting to temperature variation.

23.3. Length of Season: The football season will end for each team at the end of the regular season or by play-off elimination.

23.4. Maximum Team Contests: A football team will be permitted to play no more than 10 games exclusive of the play-off games.

23.4.1. The total number of quarters for a student in one season is 40 exclusive of the play-off games.

23.4.2. A student may only play 4 quarters in one day.

23.4.3. Any student who participated in one or more downs in one quarter shall be charged with one quarter of play, except those downs in which the football teams are in a free kick formation, or the offensive team is in a scrimmage kick formation, as defined in the National Federation Football Rule 2-17-2, the down will not count as a down.

23.4.4. Overtime is considered as an extension of the fourth quarter.

23.4.5. Interscholastic practice game or games in which teams representing a member school play against alumni or other people shall not be allowed.

23.5. A football team is permitted to participate in a Grid-O-Rama and one (1) preseason scrimmage or two (2) preseason scrimmages. See Glossary for definitions of Grid-O-Rama and Scrimmage.

23.6. Special Regulations:

23.6.1. all rules and regulations of these Bylaws pertaining to football are also applicable to six-man and eight-man football.

23.6.2. Any member of a freshman team in a 4-year high school that plays in a junior varsity or varsity contest (scrimmage, grid-o-rama or game) is ineligible to return to the freshman team.

23.6.3. A student may not play or practice on a non-school football team while a member of his school team.

23.7. A student may accept awards only in WVSSAC sanctioned events during the school year. These awards must be consistent with the items specified in the Awards Rule. Students may accept only this same type of an award in non-sanctioned event during non-school months.