TMSAA Committee Minutes

November 4, 2009

 

The Tennessee Middle School Committee met for the first time this school year on November 4^th.  Members in attendance were Chic Nute, Tommy Shelton, Don Freudenthal, Vic King, Ken Hilliard, Robert Cole and Dr. Michael Lowe.

 

Committee members were given an updated list of TMSAA member schools and the Areas they have been assigned.  Seven new schools have filed for membership this year.  The committee decided on the appropriate Area for each new school.  To date, we have 309 member schools in the Tennessee Middle School Athletic Association.

 

Committee members discussed the changes in Article II, Section 7 (Repeating Rule) of the TSSAA Bylaws and Rule 11 (Unsportsmanlike Conduct) of the TMSAA Bylaws.  The change in TSSAA Bylaws is as follows:

 

A student who repeats the seventh or eighth grade after passing that grade and participates in school athletics while repeating shall be ineligible to participate in athletics in the ninth grade.

 

The change in the TMSAA Bylaws is as follows:

 

B.   On the ejection of the student-athlete, the school will be required to submit a report on the action of the player and any disciplinary action taken by the school. The minimum penalty will be as follows:

 

1.  Football – 1 Game Suspension

 

2.  Soccer – 2 Game Suspension, except for the following offenses which shall result in a 1 Game Suspension:

 

a.  A player anywhere on the field (other than a goalkeeper within his/her own penalty area) who deliberately handles a ball to prevent it from going into the goal.

 

b.  A foul by a player against an opponent who is moving toward his/her offensive goal with an obvious opportunity to score.

 

3.  All other sports – 2 Game Suspension

 

The student-athlete is also suspended from all levels of participation (varsity, junior varsity) the same number of contest(s) in the sport involved.

 

If the student-athlete is finishing the highest ending grade in his/her school and cannot fulfill all of the disciplinary action due to the completion of the season, he/she will fulfill the action in the next sport in which they participate.

 

Starting this year, all member schools are required to file their eligibility (except transfer forms and hardships) and schedules online.  Rule 12 of the TMSAA Bylaws now states the following:

 

An eligibility list containing the name of each student who is to participate during the season in each sport shall be filed online prior to the first contest. If a student whose name does not appear on the original eligibility list wishes to become a member of the squad, the student’s name shall be filed online before the student is allowed to participate.

 

Member schools shall file with the state office a copy of the schedule in each sport. Schedules shall be filed online prior to the first contest.

 

Committee members also discussed the current sectional tournament format.  Part of the discussion revolved around whether or not TSSAA would ever mandate enrollment figures for classification purposes at the middle school level.  Another part of the discussion revolved around whether or not there should be three classes for competition purposes at the sectional tournament.

 

Committee members recommended that all member middle schools use a TSSAA approved association for the assignment of officials in all sports.  In addition, they discussed the possibility of TSSAA setting regular season and post season official’s fees.

 

Committee members also discussed the feasibility of having a state championship in basketball.  After a lengthy discussion the committee took no action.