AAA passes four proposals

Four proposals passed Monday at the Arkansas Activities Association’s annual Governing Body meeting at the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock. The proposals that were passed were: Schools would be able to travel for athletic trips longer than 300 miles one way once a season. Under the current AAA rules, a school is allowed to travel no more than 300 miles one way for a game or event. (Passed 221-0) The AAA age eligibility deadline would be moved up from Sept. 1 to Aug. 1, to meet the state’s attendance law. A student is not eligible for varsity competition if his or her 19th birthday is on or before Aug. 1. (Passed 250-3) Football programs would be allowed to use several football equipment items, including dummies for tackling purposes, year-round, not just during the season. Coaches have expressed a desire to have players have more repetitions in tackling, and using dummies would allow players to practice tackling safely. (Passed 207-2) Allowing junior high football programs to play games during Zero Week. Currently, the junior high football season will begin during Week One (Aug. 27-31). (Passed 218-0) All four proposals are effective immediately. Also, Van Buren (Class 7A), Greenwood (Class 6A), Blytheville (Class 5A), Pocahontas (Class 4A), Murfreesboro (Class 2A) and Caddo Hills (Class 1A) earned the AAA’s sportsmanship awards for the 2017-2018 season. An award for Class 3A was not given out because there were no nominations from a member school.