Football: City Section begins official practice on Monday with tackling restrictions
New tackling restrictions begin
Seventy-eight high school football teams in the City Section begin official practice on Monday. They have a week for conditioning two hours a day.
Beginning Aug. 3 through Aug. 7, teams can condition wearing helmets and shoulder pads. The first official day for tackling is Aug. 8, and that marks the start of a new state-wide rule restricting full contact tackling to no more than two days a week and no more than 90 minutes in duration.
At a City Section coaches meeting on Saturday at Garfield High, Commissioner John Aguirre explained to coaches that the new state law is designed to reduce concussions.
“What’s critical is that coaches understand what full contact means, what’s allowable, what’s not allowable,” Aguirre said.
Schools will have to monitor themselves to follow the rule, but Aguirre insisted parents aware of the new practice rules will also be paying attention and report coaches failing to follow the restrictions.
Schools are allowed to practice no more than 18 hours in a week.
Season-opening games begin on Aug. 28. Scrimmages start on Aug. 20.
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