TO: North Coast Section Member Schools
SUBJECT: CIF/NCS Update
DATE: July 20, 2020
I hope this finds you and your families doing well during this difficult time.
It is my goal that the information contained in this letter and attached calendar will provide some guidance as we
look to return to athletic competition later this coming school year. This is the effort of many individuals and
groups that have been charged with finding solutions to an unprecedented challenge in our lives. All of us know
the importance of education-based athletics to our student-athletes, schools, and communities. This calendar
considers the physical, mental, emotional, and social well-being of those students that we are so fortunate to
serve in our section and throughout the state. This upcoming school year will require creativity, flexibility, and
working together to best serve those student-athletes. Finally, I want you to know that from start, the focus has
been on those young men and women, and I commend everyone involved for never wavering from that. This
calendar and the revisions that go with it are about our students! Should you need anything moving forward, our
NCS staff is ready and willing to answer your questions and help guide you.
Below are the areas that have been addressed by the State and Section regarding the upcoming school year’s
athletic calendar:
• 2020-2021 Sports Calendar
• CIF Bylaw 600-605
• Summertime Rules
• NCS Approval Process
1) 2020-2021 Sports Calendars – During the past several weeks and months Section Commissioners along
with CIF Staff have worked diligently to create a sports calendar that gave each sport and our students an
opportunity to compete during the coming school year. Below you will see the results of that effort.
A) Two Seasons – Fall and Spring – In examining the most effective way to deliver Fall, Winter and
Spring sports for the 2020-2021 school year, the decision was made to condense three seasons of sport
into two seasons of sport, primarily to help with the spacing between particular sports and the overlap of
certain sports between seasons.
B) Length of Regular Seasons – We tried hard to maintain the integrity of each sport’s season; however
this process was very difficult in the time frame we were confined to. It is important to point out that no
reduction in the number of contests has taken place, meaning that a sport that generally allows 24
contests and 2 scrimmages during a normal season is still allowed the same number of contests. We
hope that this allows all schools the opportunity to attempt to play a full schedule, albeit in some cases
during a smaller window.
C) Section Championships – The 2020-2021 sports calendar includes full Section Championship
experiences, which means the same number of champions in each sport, the same number of divisions in
each sport and the same number of guaranteed entries from leagues advancing to the playoffs in each
sport, as in previous years.
D) CIF Regional/State Championships – The CIF State Office has made the decision to streamline the CIF Regional and State Championships competitions/tournaments to no longer than one week, once our Section Championships have concluded. More details on format and dates will be forthcoming from the CIF Office.
2) CIF Bylaws 600-605 Suspended for the 2020-2021 School Year – CIF Executive Director Ron Nocetti has made the decision to enact CIF Bylaw 1108.A, which states, “In emergency situations, the State CIF President or Executive Director or his/her authorized designee my act for the Federated Council in the best interests of the organization. The action will be reviewed by the Executive Committee.” Therefore, a decision has been made that CIF Bylaws 600-605 will be suspended for the 2020-2021 school year. The thought behind this decision was that it would not be a realistic expectation, with the major adjustments of our sports seasons, that we would still prohibit students from participating in contests for outside teams during the high school season of sport. This also protects our schools from having to forfeit contests should one of their athletes participate in a contest with an outside organization during their season.
3) Summertime Rules Extended –It has been decided that Summertime Rules will be extended from when the school year begins in August/September through December and the beginning of Fall sports. As schools open and students return, provided state and local health authorities deem it safe to do so, schools can begin their pre-season preparations as they see fit, depending on what is allowed by health authorities during that time period. Summertime rules as described in Appendix A of our Sports and General Rulings Handbook will be in effect until December 14, 2020.
4) NCS Approval Process – North Coast Section Bylaw 1107.B states the following, “Between meetings of the NCS Board of Managers, the NCS Executive Committee shall be empowered to act for the Board of Managers when necessary. This action will be subject to the approval of the Board of Managers at its next meeting.” Therefore, the 2020-2021 sports calendars were placed on the agenda of a Special Executive Committee Meeting this morning and approved.
Thank you for your continued support of Educational Athletics. We understand that this is just the beginning of the journey into this coming school year and that there will be many challenges and changes along the way. It is my hope that moving forward we will work to make this difficult time as memorable and exciting as we can for our students and schools.
Stay safe and take care! As I told you back in the Spring, WE WILL RISE AGAIN!
Pat
