NCHSAA Board Makes Four Changes To Indoor/XC Rules


The NCHSAA had their Board of Directors meeting yesterday where they voted on changes amongst various sports.  They had four votes revolving cross country or indoor track that were passed.

Indoor Track & Cross Country head coaches will now be required to attend one of the NCHSAA clinics.  It will be recommend for the 2020-2021 school year and required in the 2021-2022 school year.


The start date of winter sports, or indoor track, have been changed.  The 1st practice will be Nov. 2nd 2020 and first competition date will be Nov. 21, 2020.


The number of indoor track meets allowed for a school throughout the week has been increased to 3 meets per week starting in the 2020-2021 Indoor season.


Admission prices starting in 2020-2021 for cross country will increase from $6 per person to $8 per person.


There was no updates on the Fall Sports season as they'll continue to monitor the situation regarding COVID-19.  You can review all of the results of voting subjects for all sports here.

In other rules news, the NFHS will not publish new rules for sprint sports for the 2021 season.  You can read that press release below.

Due to the cancellation of spring sports at high schools across the country, the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) will not be publishing new rules (both print and digital) for 2021 in the sports of baseball, softball, track and field, girls lacrosse and boys lacrosse.

Because very few schools were able to compete in these sports prior to the March shutdown of schools due to the COVID-19 pandemic, competition in these sports in 2021 will be conducted under 2020 NFHS rules for baseball, softball, track and field, girls lacrosse and boys lacrosse.

"Since most schools were not able to practice or play a game in these sports, we thought it was best to carry the 2020 rules publications forward to next year," said Dr. Karissa Niehoff, NFHS executive director. "Our rules committees in these sports will conduct virtual meetings this summer but will not be approving any additional rules changes."

Among the five aforementioned sports, a total of eight 2020 NFHS publications will be used for the 2021 season, including the Baseball Rules Book, Baseball Case Book, Softball Rules Book, Softball Case Book, Track and Field/Cross Country Rules Book, Track and Field/Cross Country Case Book, Girls Lacrosse Rules Book and Boys Lacrosse Rules Book. In addition, the 2020 NFHS Simplified and Illustrated Rules and 2020 Rules by Topic books for baseball and softball produced in concert with Referee Enterprises Inc. (REI) will be used in 2021 as well.

The NFHS Baseball Umpires Manual and the NFHS Track and Field/Cross Country Officials Manual will be published this year as scheduled since these are two-year publications.

As a result of this change, the NFHS will be working with its member state associations to fulfill needs for additional 2020 spring sports rules publications in advance of the 2021 season.

The NFHS has been publishing playing rules for high school sports since the 1930s when the first high school football rules were published. Currently, the NFHS publishes rules in printed and digital forms in 17 sports for girls and boys competition.