It’s time for HS FOOTBALL to get its own GOVERNING BODY

Note: I’ve written a column on this topic for our upcoming preview magazine that will be out on Aug. 29. But given the timing of everything taking place at present, the cliff notes version will be made available here.

Here are some main reasons why football should have its own governing body …

— Rules that apply to other sports should not apply to football because it doesn’t have the same club/travel ball levels of competition to fall back on. In sports like basketball, players cut their teeth with college recruiters at the club level, not high school. With no “club” version of the game to athletes, football players have only Friday nights in fall to make it all happen. So when a player like Noodles Hull or Jake Payton loses an entire season, there’s no way to make it up with a “club” team. And that’s wrong.

The absolute MOST any football player should have to sit out for an athletically motivated transfer or undue influence is THREE GAMES. A basketball or baseball transfer can miss an entire season and be just fine because of “club” or “travel” ball … football players don’t have that same luxury. THE CURRENT RULES ARE WALKING HS FOOTBALL RIGHT DOWN THE PATH TO A CLUB/TRAVEL VERSION OF THE SPORT BEING FORMED. Idiocy!

— Under the current governance, proper league and playoff division placings are done poorly. There’s been ample time to get Monrovia football out of the Rio Hondo League and Mid-Valley Division and nothing has been done. Damien moving to the Pac-5? A special governing body would easily be able to handle the task of making SEPARATE DIVISIONS AND LEAGUES for FOOTBALL.

— Lumping FOOTBALL in with other sports, even just one other sport, is a travesty and should never happen. It’s the most unique season with the most unique risks, so why do we currently have across-the-board rules for all sports, including football?

— This is and isn’t an indictment of CIF. If CIF in some sort of sub-body was in charge of football, I’d have no problem with it. I’m not just talking about putting an assistant commissioner in charge of the sport. I’m talking about a completely different blue book with a completely different set of rules and guidelines that would be made up BY THE NEW GOVERNING BODY and NOT INDIVIDUAL SCHOOLS/ADs/PRINCIPALS/COACHES.

These are just broad strokes and a more compelling case will be made in the full preview column. Thank you and have a wonder life.