Louisiana High School Athletic Association's executive director Eddie Bonine informed member schools on Monday that the Aug. 3 start date for football will remain in place, despite the fact the state remains in Phase II until at least Aug. 7.
However, Bonine did also state that schools/school systems may choose to not proceed with the current start date and that until the state "gets into Phase III and establishes a positive trend as it relates to the virus, the start of regular football season, including but not limited to full contact, scrimmages, jamborees and eventually the beginning of interscholastic competitions will inevitably be adjusted."
The original start date is Aug. 10, but for teams who don't have a spring practice they get to start a week earlier in the fall. And due to the closing of schools following the Covid-19 pandemic, spring football practices were cancelled.
Beginning Aug. 3, teams will be allowed to use helmets and appropriate footwear only, hand shields and pop up dummies, ball handling exchange drills, 7-on-7 intra-squad with no contact, static groupings of 25 students (indoors and outdoors). If groups convene indoors, it must convene in a room enclosed by a wall or partition. That includes large rooms, such as gyms, auditorium (which may include more than one group if each group is separated by a wall or partition).
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On Aug. 6, what's allowed remains the same, with the only change being that teams can use shoulder pads in addition to helmets and appropriate footwear.
"I don't think anything said in the memo is different from what we already thought," Notre Dame head coach Lew Cook Sr. said. "I think Mr. Bonine was clearing up things as it pertained to shoulder pads on Aug. 6. When you don't have spring, you're allowed to put pads on, but we weren't sure of the exact date."
"I feel like the memo was sent to provide clarification and to reinforce what the general consensus already believed was OK," Carencro head coach Tony Courville said. "We still have the three days of acclimation with the pads, but the only thing is we can't have any contact. But we are still excited to get started just like we were excited to start in June."
Once the governor moves the state into Phase III, teams will be able to use all sleds and tackling wheels and increase groups to 50 students both indoor and outdoor. Multiple groups of 50 students can practice outdoors, as long as there is no contact between groups or mixing of groups.
"Even in Phase III, we still won't be allowed to have contact," Cook said. "We can hit a pad, but not one another. What I'm hoping is that once we are in Phase III and move closer to Phase IV they will allow us to do a little more in Phase III."
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Although intra-squad 7-on-7's are allowed, coaches seem to be a little hesitant to implement it in their practices due to the non-contact rule.
"It'll be tough to control," Ascension Episcopal head football coach Matt Desormeaux said. "By the people I've spoken with, it has been suggested to not do 7-on-7's because of accidental contact. So, it'll be tricky to follow all of the protocols and start 7-on-7."
"It'll be difficult to do 7-on-7," Courville said. "We'll have to work on more zone coverage type stuff, because we teach our kids to get up in man-to-man, jam the receiver and reroute him. You won't be able to actually work on that because you can't have contact. So, 7-on-7 will be very difficult."
Like many coaches have stated during the offseason, Desormeaux wants a more detailed plan.
"I would like more guidance on what's coming because it is tough to plan workouts and practice when you don't know what you're planning for," Desormeaux said. "Even with this, there is still 90 percent of what you do in football practice that you still can't do. I understan it is new territory for everyone and it is frustrating. But I just want more guidance because it is hard to plan."
However, while Cook and Courville share Desormeaux and many other coaches' frustration, they understand what Bonine is doing.
"We'd all like to know right now where it is going and what the plan is if we are here by this date," Cook said. "But I think they have a plan and they just aren't putting it out. We at least know where we go if we get to Phase III. It's frustrating and like other coaches I would like to know, but right now we just can't."
"I understand that Mr. Bonine wants to have the right information from the state agencies and he doesn't want to go against them," Courville said. "I'd like to have a plan with dates, but I get that Mr. Bonine wants to make sure he has a clearer picture. We choose to focus on the positive and the positive is that at least we get to do some football activity."
Eric Narcisse covers high school sports for The Daily Advertiser. Email him at enarcisse@theadvertiser.com and follow him on Twitter @eric_narcisse.
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