Board of Directors Meeting Minutes

1) The Board approved a recommendation to delineate the functions of IESA to reflect the mission of the Association. Those functions are to: a) elevate standards of sportsmanship; b) encourage the growth of responsible citizenship; c) encourage academic excellence. (Article 1.013)

2) The Board approved recommendations clarifying a requirement for membership that a school must be recognized by the Illinois State Board of Education. (Article 1.021 and Article 1.022)

3) The Board approved a recommendation that member schools receive a Certificate of Membership that remains in effect as long as the school meets the requirements for membership. Such certificates will be issued only once and not on an annual basis. (Article 1.025)

4) The Board did not approve a recommendation that members of the board can serve a maximum of three terms. (Article 1.037)

5) The Board approved a recommendation that establishes annual meetings of member schools in each Board of Directors division. Each member school shall have one vote upon any matter brought before those attending the meeting. A standard meeting protocol was approved that stipulates the meetings shall be held in the fall and that is it mandatory for each member school to be represented at the meeting. Member schools that do not comply with the attendance requirement will be placed on probation the first year and the school shall not be permitted to participate after January 1 in any state series in the second year of noncompliance. (Article 1.041) Complete information regarding these division meetings will be sent to each member school in August.

6) The Board approved a recommendation that delineates office protocol when the executive Director and the Associate Executive Director are absent and a decision in matters covered by the Constitution and By-Laws is required by a member school. (Article 1.057)

7) The Board approved a recommendation that establishes a new system to review composition of member schools in the respective Board of Directors Divisions. The process requires review of the distribution of member schools at least every five years, beginning in January, 2007. (Article 1.062)

8) The Board approved a recommendation that clarifies the procedure for an annual election of officers of the Association at the Board meeting when the election ballots are canvassed and after the new Board members have been seated. (Article 1.072)

9) The Board approved a recommendation to clarify that the Board of Directors is authorized to establish, collect and levy annual dues, entry fees and other penalties and assessments. (Article 1.081)

10) The Board approved a recommendation to establish Monday of Week 49 in the Standardized Calendar as the date on which membership dues must be transmitted to the IESA Office. (Article 1.0831)

11) The Board approved a recommendation to combine three existing articles to articulate in a new by-law that the standing Board Committees shall meet at least once annually and shall be: a) By-Laws; b) Finance; c) Staff Relations. (Article 1.101)

12) The Board approved a recommendation to include Member School Responsibilities information prior to the Constitution.

1) State Basketball Tournaments - The Board approved a standard time schedule for the four classes of competition in both the Seventh and Eighth Grade State Finals. The tournaments will be played on a Saturday-Thursday format. Quarterfinal games Saturday are scheduled for 10:00 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1:00 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. Semifinal games will also be played on Saturday and will be scheduled for 6:00 and 7:30 p.m. Third place and championship games will be played beginning at 6:00 and 7:30 p.m., respectively, on the following Thursday.

2) State Volleyball Tournaments - The Board approved a standard time schedule for the four classes of competition in both the Seventh and Eighth Grade State Finals. The tournaments will be played on a Saturday-Tuesday format. Quarterfinal games Saturday are scheduled for 10:00 a.m., 11:15 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 1:45 p.m. Semifinal games will also be played on Saturday and will be scheduled for 5:30 and 6:45 p.m. Third place and championship games will be played beginning at 6:00 and 7:30 p.m., respectively, on the following Tuesday.

3) The Board approved a recommendation that once a bracketed team sport reaches 240 entries, discussion will be held regarding adding classes.

There were two items tabled from the January meeting that the Board took action on and finalized.

1) The Board approved a recommendation to implement an IESA Division Sportsmanship Award based on the sportsmanship of the member school. Information concerning the procedure to apply will be sent to all schools.

2) The Board asked the Committee for more detailed information regarding distribution of sportsmanship banners.

1) The Board approved a recommendation that increases the maximum number of allowable quarters of participation for one individual to 88 quarters during the regular season. The increase is a natural result of the new rule which goes into effect beginning with the 2006-07 season that teams have a maximum limitation of 22 games in a season. There are no longer game and/or tournament limitations

2) The Board approved a recommendation that clarifies the existing playing limit for individual players. The recommendation does not change any current interpretation, it only clarifies the wording of the By-Law 4.0441

3) The Board approved a playing rule for regular season games and tournaments that implements a "mercy rule" and the guidelines which will be used to administer it. Those guidelines are:

Running clock utilized during the fourth quarter in contests with a 30 point differential in score.

If a contest should begin its fourth quarter with a 30 point differential in score or greater, the entire fourth quarter will be played with a running clock. The running clock will not be used prior to the fourth quarter of any contest.

Once the clock begins running continuously because of the point differential, it is to remain running for the rest of the contest, even if the point differential drops under the 30 point barrier during the fourth quarter.

If, while using the running clock because of the point differential and the trailing team somehow tied the contest at the end of regulation, any and all subsequent overtime periods would be played using the continuous clock.

The running clock would only be stopped once it starts for the following:

1. A team timeout,
2. To replace a disqualified player,
3. To administer a technical foul,
4. To attend to an injured player,
5. Any other situation of concern to an official.

The "mercy-rule" will not be used for state tournament series (regional, sectional, state) contests.

4) The Board approved deadlines for determining the regional host schools. In girls basketball the deadline is Wednesday of Week 15 in the Standardized Calendar (Oct. 11, 2006). In boys basketball the deadline is Wednesday of Week 23 in the Standardized Calendar (Dec. 6, 2006)

5) The Board approved a recommendation that member schools must hire two IHSA licensed basketball officials for all regular season contests. While only a recommended procedure for the 2006-07 school year, it is mandatory beginning with the 2007-08 school year.

6) The Board did not approve a recommendation that requires that the head coach of each member school basketball team complete a Readiness Verification Card and submits it to the IESA Office, and the school's administration must attest that the coach has met the criteria for readiness.

7) The Board approved a recommendation that a series of Points of Emphasis be published on the IESA Web Site, and distributed to the membership in the annual IESA Activity Update.

8) The Board approved a recommendation to extend the deadline for schools to be compliant with new jersey requirements. Beginning in 2008-09, home teams will be required to wear white jerseys. Without passage of this recommendation, the requirement would have gone into effect with the 2007-08 season.

1) The Board approved a recommendation to clarify place finishers and advancement eligibility from the sectional level in case replacement wrestlers are needed at the state final. The third alternate would be the wrestler who loses the first round championship bout to the champion.

2) The Board approved a recommendation to set 9:00 a.m. as the starting time for all sectional meets.

3) The Board approved a recommendation to put the pass gate form used for participants, coaches, statisticians and scorekeepers on the IESA Web Site. Access to submitting information for this form will be available only online through the member center long-in.

4) The Board authorized that the information contained on the host interest form include a recommendation (not a requirement) that schools hosting wrestling regionals and sectionals use three (3) mats to conduct the tournament. Use of three (3) mats can greatly reduce the time needed to complete the tournament.

5) The Board approved the order of bouts in the championship matches that will be held on two mats at the State Final Tournament. The order will be 65-275; 70-215; 75-185; 80-167; 85-155; 90-145; 95-135; 100-126; 105-119; 112. The order will be reversed in following years.

6) The Board accepted the committee's recommendations for Grand Marshals in the 2007 State Final Tournament.

1) The Board approved a recommendation to change the rally scoring format from 2 out of 3 games to 21 points to 2 out of 3 games to 25 points.

2) The Board approved a recommendation to change the warm-up time to 4-4-4-2.

3) The Board approved a recommendation to add information in the Terms and Conditions that requires the playing dates and match starting times to be reviewed thoroughly and completely at the regional seeding meeting. Also, information will be added to the Terms and Conditions that matches in the regional may begin 20 minutes after the conclusion of the previous match.

4) The Board approved a recommendation that sets the team limit to 22 matches in one season, effective with the 2007-08 season.

5) The Board approved a recommendation that requires member schools to use one IHSA licensed volleyball official in all regular season contests, and that the use of two (2) IHSA licensed volleyball officials is not required but recommended.