Limits on Outside Competition Retained : Southern Section Votes to Continue Restrictions on Club Teams

Members of the Southern Section’s General Council voted Thursday to retain rules that restrict athletes who participate on club teams outside the high school sport season during the school year.

The council voted, 30-21, to reject a proposal that would have eliminated restrictions on soccer, basketball, softball, water polo, volleyball and baseball players beginning in the 1987-88 school year. There was one abstention.

The bylaws of the Southern Section Constitution limit the number of school teammates who can participate on one club team during the school year. Soccer is allowed five players, basketball two, softball four, water polo three, volleyball four and baseball four.

Supporters for eliminating restrictions argued that the rules were difficult to enforce and that rural areas were penalized because smaller towns have few non-school teams to offer student-athletes.

Those who voted to keep the restrictions feared that athletes would compete year-round in one sport without limitations.

“There was a very strong fear in our league that athletes would begin to specialize in one sport without some restrictions,” said Don Walker, the El Toro principal and South Coast League representative.

Tom Triggs, the La Habra principal and Freeway League representative, said earlier this week he thought the six-team league would favor keeping the restrictions. But the league’s representatives voted otherwise when they met Wednesday.

“Many thought the restrictions would be difficult to enforce,” Triggs said. “Personally, I think it’s a good piece of legislation.”

The 10 league representatives from Orange County were basically split on the issue. The Century, Pacific Coast, Orange, South Coast and Sunset leagues voted no (to maintain the restrictions). The Angelus, Empire, Freeway and Garden Grove leagues voted yes (to eliminate them). The Sea View League abstained.

Stan Thomas, the Southern Section commissioner, said he had anticipated a close vote.

“I sympathize with the schools in our outlying areas, and there’s a whole bunch of them,” Thomas said. “They are adversely affected by today’s outcome. In many of those areas, there’s one club team, and that’s it.

“If you’re the basketball coach, how do you decide which of your two players get to play and which ones don’t? There’s no appeal process for these schools. I have no right to waive the rule for them.”

Restrictions on basketball, softball, volleyball and baseball were added to the section’s bylaws 10 years ago. Restrictions on soccer and water polo were passed in May 1986 and went into effect on Dec. 1, 1986.