High school football playoff schedule changes alter start of season

Although it officially begins this season, the Missouri State High School Athletic Association's changes to the football playoff schedule began taking its initial roots two years ago, and it's biggest proponents were internal.

A 12-member panel, known as the Sports Medicine Advisory Committee, met in December 2012 to study a new preseason practice format that would allow players to better acclimate themselves to heat during practices.

The changes have been adopted, allowing practices to begin one week earlier this season and shifting the postseason schedule to Fridays and Saturdays. Regular-season games start next Friday, but teams will make their on-field debuts tonight in exhibition jamborees.

"Having three games in an [11-day] span was just not conducive for postseason play and for those teams that are advancing," MSHSAA communications director Jason West said. "Even on the professional level, for the body not being able to rest and recuperate and be 100 percent for that next game is very difficult on a weekly basis.

"That's not the best way we want to go about that."

After the state went to the district bracket format before the 2012 season, first-round district games were played on a Thursday and district semifinals were the following Wednesday, allowing teams five days to prepare for district finals the following Monday. There were also five days between district championships and the state quarterfinals.

"I like the short turnaround. I think by that point of the year, it's a little bit of a fresh start for your kids. It's a motivation for them. It's a short turnaround that's a little bit more intense," Central coach Nathan Norman said. "I wouldn't like it if I was Class 5 or 6 and had to wait two weeks. That's terrible, in my opinion. One obvious benefit to that break is it gives you a chance to get healthy."

District playoffs begin this season on Friday, Oct. 24, and Saturday, Oct. 25, under the new format with a week between each round to allow teams to properly recuperate and prepare for the next game.

"You do what you need to do," Chaffee coach Charlie Vickery said. "Obviously this works out better in the long run, but I think starting this early and playing two games in August is not very good, in my opinion. I think that's the drawback. I've been around a lot of different playoff systems, and you just have to go with what's there."

Most of the opposition to the new format is derived from being forced to start the season a week earlier -- this season on Aug. 4 -- forcing teams to battle inclement weather and extreme heat in the waning days of summer.

"I'm one of those guys that's been around a long time and was really accustomed to the old way. It doesn't really make much difference to me either way, although I don't like starting as early as we do now," Perryville coach Mike Wojtczuk said. "We've been lucky with this summer so far, but that's not always the case with the way summers are in Southeast Missouri. We're so concerned with getting kids acclimated with heat and things like that, and all of a sudden we're starting a week or two earlier than we did in the past."

West said the struggle of adding length between games but maintaining the same time frame for state championships was the biggest hurdle in keeping coaches and athletic directors in accord.

There was even talk of beginning the season with three games in 10 days, according to West. That idea was quickly shot down.

"When it got approved to start fall practice a week earlier, that's what allowed us to stretch it out and make it work," West said.

Scott City coach Jim May believes continuity is a vital component to the most important time of the season.

"Pushing [the season] up kind of accelerates it. You start a little earlier. It's been good this year because the weather's been good," May said. "Going on Friday nights makes it very easy. It makes planning and scheduling so much easier. You're not thrown out of rhythm for the biggest games of the year."

For smaller schools like St. Vincent, recuperation is essential for preparing on a weekly basis.

"As a coach, you like that. It gives you more time to give your team rest, especially with us," first-year St. Vincent coach Nathan Rowland said. "We're trying to make a run in the playoffs this year, and we want to have rest for our 32 guys. We've got guys that are having to play both ways. They're going to need that time to rest, regroup and energize themselves."

West said adjustments were also made to fall softball, allowing teams an extra week to get their games in before the end of the regular season.

Although it will take time for teams to adjust at the beginning of the season, West believes the new format will pay off for teams in the playoffs and beyond.

"I think the long-term effects will be on multiple scales. For health reasons, it will have a positive impact. It will allow more recuperation time. It not only helps the teams that have access to athletic trainers on the site in their buildings but also those that may have to borrow athletic trainers from other sites or go to other cities to get those services," he said. "It allows more time for those students to be seen and be a little more active in their recoveries. I think it also allows more time to be prepared and to prepare for opponents.

"The more prepared you can be for a game, the less likely you are to get those freak injuries."