SCHSSCA Executive Board Member Wayne Quinlan (Hilton Head Island High School) has authored a couple of rule changes to be presented to the Principals/Athletic Directors meetings March 8-9, 2012. Please review the following proposals and verse your respective Principal/AD on these issues. These have been approved by the S.C. High School Soccer Coaches Association via popular vote at the SCHSSCA Winter Clinic January 27, 2012 at the Clarion Hotel Downtown in Columbia, SC.

I. A PROPOSAL FOR REQUEST OF RULE CHANGE TO BE FORWARDED TO NFHS AND/OR BE CONSIDERED FOR STATE ADOPTION:

The Rule - Soccer Rule 4: Section 1; Article 1. b. page 21 of 2010-11 Rules Book �Beginning with the 2012 fall season, the home team shall wear solid white jerseys and solid white socks, and the visiting team shall wear dark jerseys and socks.�

To Be Changed To - �The home team shall wear white or light jerseys and socks and the visiting team shall wear dark jerseys and socks.�

Explanation - The effect of the new rule will be to eliminate stripes piping, chevrons, school crests, logos, etc. from home jerseys and to eliminate the ability of the home team to wear a light color other than white. In effect, home jerseys will resemble plain white T-shirts with numbers. School names and players� names would be allowed. This will require all schools to purchase new home jerseys and socks by the spring of 2013 for soccer and to begin to purchase them for all sports soon thereafter. This rule will eventually be in effect for all sports. SCHSSCA members who attended the Winter Clinic were unanimous in opposition to this. A national poll revealed that 85% of all coaches who responded opposed the new rule. The reasons for the opposition are the financial cost and the removal of local as well as national and international traditions allowing for such things as stripes and for a team to wear a light color other than white. For example, Summerville HS should be able to choose to wear white or yellow at home and should be able to trim it in a complimentary color. NFHS rule changes, according to Mark Koski (NFHS Director of Sports and Events) are for the following reasons; safety or to uphold the traditions of the sport. We believe neither of these is achieved in the new rule, and in fact the time-honored traditions of the game�s uniforms being striped, light, etc. would be violated by this rule.

[email protected], National Federation of State High School Associations

Remedy - SCHSL Commissioner Jerome Singleton should be directed to pass the rule change request form submitted to him last year by SCHSSCA Board Member Wayne Quinlan to NFHS for their consideration or, by state adoption, S.C. should be exempted from the change.

II. A PROPOSAL FOR ALL SOCCER STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS TO BE HELD AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA�S EUGENE E. STONE, III STADIUM:

The current venue for these events is Memorial Stadium in the Rosewood section of Columbia. SCHSSCA membership, at its 16th Annual SCHSSCA Winter Clinic, was unanimous in its support of hosting the finals at the University of South Carolina. We believe a central site is extremely important to continue the outstanding attendance and promotion of our sport, in addition to creating a memorable experience for the participants. We believe, as a NCAA Division I university with nationally renowned collegiate soccer powers, USC has the most prestigious facility in the Midlands area for the SCHSL State Finals. We believe the facilities provided by USC offer far superior concessions, restrooms, parking, electronic scoreboard, turf quality and safety. The SCHSSCA has administrated the finals since 1996, several of them at USC. The current SCHSL Commissioner, Jerome Singleton, believes Stone Stadium to be unsuitable because there is seating only on one side. There has NEVER been a problem between opposing fans in the many years USC hosted. Additionally there are no similar requirements for the basketball championships - also hosted by USC at the Colonial Life Arena. Nonetheless, the SCHSSCA will take any steps necessary to ensure safety. We will locate the team benches on the far side, away from the stands; partition, with police tape, the bleachers into two sections; position security in the middle; locate the student sections at either end of the bleachers. If a problem occurs as a direct result of the seating, the SCHSSCA will fully support moving back to Memorial Stadium or another suitable venue as deemed by the SCHSSCA. We are NOT in favor of playing outside Columbia or on a field with artificial turf at this time.

[email protected], S.C. High School League

Remedy - Direct SCHSL to stage all soccer state finals at USC. The University of South Carolina athletics department, along with the men's and women's soccer programs, are in full support of this proposal.

Last edited by Kyle Heise; 02/21/12 12:35 AM.