TMSAA Committee Minutes

February 18, 2004

 

The Tennessee Middle School Athletic Association Committee held its second meeting of the school year on Wednesday, February 18, 2004 at the TSSAA office in Hermitage.  Committee members present were Hardin Satterfield, Chic Nute, Vic King, Norma Beshears, and Mike Fulkerson.

 

Members of the committee approved the current membership list.  We had a total of 14 schools that applied for new membership this year.  This brings the total number of schools in TMSAA to 269.

 

Committee members decided on the topics they felt needed to be discussed with our Athletic Directors during the TMSAA Forum at their conference April 26-28.  Those topics were as follows:

 

u      TMSAA Bylaw Changes (Academic, Unsportsmanlike Conduct, Coaches, Exceptions to TSSAA Policy)

u      Scoring to be used during Volleyball Matches

u      Pre-Game Warm-Up and Spirit Rule in Basketball

 

Rally scoring in volleyball for TMSAA member schools was discussed after being tabled in the last meeting.  The NFHS Volleyball Rules Committee decided in their January meeting that all matches shall be the best 3-out-of-5 games.  The games shall be played to 25 points and the deciding game shall be played to 15 points.  The format for all games will be rally scoring.  The middle school committee voted to propose that all middle school matches be 2-out-of-3 games in regular season and tournaments.  Games will be played to 25 points with the third game played to 15.  The format will be rally scoring.  Each game must be won by a minimum of two points.

 

The committee voted to recommend that the “Guidelines to Address Unsportsmanlike Behavior” and Eligibility Lists and Schedule Requirements be a part of the TMSAA Bylaws.  In addition, Rule #10 of the TMSAA Bylaws was rewritten to read as follows:

 

All coaches must be approved by the principal, superintendent, and/or local board of education.  Any coach who is not a full-time employee of the school system and does not possess a teacher’s certificate or the equivalent or is not a retired educator must attend the TSSAA Coaches Training Session within his or her first year of assuming the position.  A fine of $50.00 will be assessed to the school if the coach does not attend and he or she will be required to attend the next available meeting.  All non-faculty coaches must complete the NFHS Coaches Education Program in a TSSAA-approved course within five years of assuming the position.

 

Schools must submit the names of all non-faculty coaches to the state office each year.  A school must play an annual registration fee of $40.00 per coach.  The maximum fee for a school to register non-faculty coaches will be $100.00 per year.

 

Committee members considered a request from Walter J. Baird Middle School to move from Area 4 to Area 3 in Middle Tennessee.  The request was approved beginning with the next school year.

 

The committee voted to ask the Board of Control to adopt the identical policy which has been implemented in high school basketball.  This refers to Pre-Game Warm-Ups and spirit rules for cheerleaders during basketball games.  The new rule in middle school will read as follows:

 

If a team circles the entire floor during pre-game warm-ups while the jurisdiction of the officials has started, there will be technical foul charged indirectly to the head coach.  If a team runs through a team already warming up, a technical foul will be charged indirectly to the head coach.

 

Also, teams must go to the free throw line area directly in front of their bench during pre-game introductions or during pre-game warm-ups.  No team will be allowed around the mid-court circle during or after introductions.

 

Cheerleaders cannot stand at anytime during the game in the area of the free throw lane extended under the basket.

 

The TMSAA Committee meetings for the 2004-05 school year will be held on November 17, 2004 and February 16, 2005.