There are some changes going into the 2022 high school football season in Connecticut.
First off, the CIAC installed three days of non-exertional Organized Team Activities, or OTAs. There was no contact or physical exertion during those three days. What was allowed: Equipment distribution and proper helmet fitting; issuing lockers; review of program rules and locker room behavior; review of team expectations; issuing playbooks and pertinent handouts; chalk talks and video review; teaching proper stretching; teaching of proper safety techniques; “walk through teaching” of drills, stances, spacing and cadence; and any other organizational team activity needed to prepare the student-athletes for the upcoming conditioning week. What was not allowed: the use of any equipment including helmets, pads, footballs or the simulation of a football; any full speed activities; and all exertional activities such as pass patterns or sled work, etc.
Conditioning was to begin no earlier than Aug. 15, and that at least five days had to be conducted before the first day of practice. Practice couldn’t begin before today. The first allowable scrimmage won’t happen until at least this Wednesday.
Another change is the number of playoff classes, which have been increased from four to six. The classes are as follows: LL, L, MM, M, SS and S. A “success in tournament” formula is being used for all schools of choice. Schools of choice are defined by the CIAC as having more than 25 gender-specific students attend from outside of their districts.
What “success in tournament” translates to is a team having made the semifinal round in the last three years. If a school has reached semifinal in one of the three years, they will be moved up two divisions. Semifinals in two of three years means a move up of three divisions. Non-schools of choice will be put into divisions based on their enrollment as of Oct. 1 from the previous year. The same process will be followed each year by the football committee.
The six classes will be divided into groups of three (LL/L, MM/M and SS/S) for the purpose of the points system. Forty-eight teams will make the playoffs, or eight per class. Schools are not permitted to change classes.
Here are the local teams in each class:
Class LL – Crosby, Kennedy
Class L – Bristol Central, Wilby
Class MM – Bristol Eastern, Wilcox/Kaynor
Class M – none
Class SS – none
Class S – Holy Cross, St. Paul, WCA, Wolcott
Here’s the schedule for the opening week of the season:
Thursday, Sept. 8
Torrington at Wilby (Ray Snyder Sr. Field), 6
Seymour at St. Paul, 6:30
Friday, Sept. 9
Manchester at Bristol Central, 6
RHAM-Hebron at Bristol Eastern, 6:30
WCA at Wolcott, 6:30
Wilcox/Kaynor at Lyman Hall-Wallingford, 6:30
Holy Cross at Kennedy (Snyder), 7
Crosby at Watertown, 7
