• LL 10-12 Baseball 7/2: Iron Mountain 9, Schaffer 0
  • MVB Baseball 7/2: Post 44 Blues 6, Menominee 4, Gm 1
  • MVB Baseball 7/2: Menominee 9, Post 44 Blues 5, Gm 2
6340 articles
Saturday July 5, 2025
MHSAA Outlines Rules Changes As Practice Begins

EAST LANSING---A series of changes, including adjustments to postseason qualification in multiple sports and several playing rules, will take effect Monday, Aug. 7, as more than 95,000 athletes statewide are anticipated to begin the Fall 2023 season across nine sports for which the Michigan High School Athletic Association sponsors postseason tournaments.

Teams in girls and boys cross country, football, Lower Peninsula girls golf, boys soccer, Lower Peninsula girls swimming & diving, Upper Peninsula girls tennis and Lower Peninsula boys tennis, and girls volleyball may begin practice Monday.

Competition begins Aug. 14 for golf and tennis, Aug. 16 for cross country, soccer, swimming & diving and volleyball, and Aug. 24 for varsity football. Football teams at all levels must have 12 days of preseason practice – over a period of 16 calendar days – before their first game.

Qualification requirements for MHSAA Finals competition have been adjusted to provide more opportunities in two sports.

The Swimming & Diving Finals could enjoy larger fields this fall thanks to a change in the structuring of qualifying times. Moving forward, qualifying times will be determined based on the past five years of MHSAA race data, but also will account for past numbers of qualifiers in each swim race. This shift will allow for more athletes to advance to the Finals in events where fields have not been full over the previous five seasons.

In tennis, for the first time in Lower Peninsula play, a No. 1 doubles flight from a non-qualifying team will be able to advance from its Regional to Finals competition.

To do so, that No. 1 doubles flight must finish first or second at its Regional, and the No. 1 singles player from that team also must have qualified for the Finals individually by finishing first or second in Regional play.

Also affecting MHSAA Tournament play, golfers now are required to participate in at least four competitions for the high school team prior to representing that school team in an MHSAA Regional or Final. Those four regular-season competitions may be 9 or 18-hole events.

A pair of significant changes have switched up the Finals schedules this fall in boys soccer and football. Instead of playing at multiple sites as in the past, all four Boys Soccer Finals will be played on the same day at the same site, Nov. 4 at Grand Ledge High School beginning with Division 4 and ending with Division 1.

The 11-Player Football Finals will start and finish a day later at Ford Field, concluding that sport’s season Saturday, Nov. 25 and Sunday, Nov. 26, instead of with the traditional Friday/Saturday schedule. This one-year adjustment is being made to accommodate the Michigan State/Penn State football game Friday, Nov. 24, at Ford Field.

Opportunities have been created as well beginning this fall for scheduling more out-of-state opponents in all sports, as teams are now able to play opponents from anywhere in the United States as long as those competitions are played in Michigan, contiguous states Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Minnesota or Wisconsin, or Ontario.

All out-of-state opponents must be members in good standing of their respective high school athletic association, and any multi-team event including schools from outside of Michigan or those contiguous states/province must receive approval by the MHSAA and each state high school association with a team involved in order for MHSAA member schools to be allowed to participate.

Rules changes will be literally visible in two sports as more flexibility will be allowed by new wardrobe exceptions in cross country and girls volleyball. In volleyball, small, secured studs or posts now may be worn above the chin. In cross country, athletes may now wear temporary body adornment (painted or fastened) during competition, and runners also may now wear any type of head attire during racing.

As is annually true, a series of playing rule changes also take effect with the new season. The following are among the most notable:

The most significant in football changes how the ball is spotted after penalties by the offense that occur behind the line of scrimmage. Previously, those were marked from the spot of the foul; now those penalties will be marked from the previous spot – the line of scrimmage where that play began. This change was made to eliminate excessive penalties on the offense when an infraction took place well behind the line of scrimmage.

In volleyball, teams will stay on the same bench for the duration of a match unless officials determine a clear disadvantage exists for the bench on one side of the court. In that case, teams will exchange sides of the court after each set.

Another pair of changes affect where volleyball coaches may be positioned during matches. Coaches may stand in a new coaching zone, now defined by the libero replacement zone extending beyond the end line and sideline extended. During dead-ball situations, one assistant coach also may stand within the coaching zone to provide instruction; only one assistant coach can stand at a time, but the assistant coach who stands may change throughout the match.

Two officiating-related changes will be especially noticeable on the soccer pitch. Officials now may stop the clock to check on an injured player without that player being required to leave the match – previously that player would have to sub out. Also, categories for fouls have been redefined: careless (which is a foul but does not receive a card), reckless (a foul with a yellow card) and excessive force (foul with red card).

In swimming, stroke modifications were made in the backstroke and breaststroke events.  


The 2023 Fall campaign culminates with postseason tournaments beginning with the Upper Peninsula Girls Tennis Finals during the week of Oct. 2 and wrapping up with the 11-Player Football Finals on Nov. 25 and 26. Here is a complete list of fall tournament dates:

Cross Country
U.P. Finals – Oct. 21
L.P. Regionals – Oct. 27 or 28
L.P. Finals – Nov. 4

11-Player Football
Selection Sunday – Oct. 22
Pre-Districts – Oct. 27 or 28
District Finals – Nov. 3 or 4
Regional Finals – Nov. 10 or 11
Semifinals – Nov. 18
Finals – Nov. 25-26

8-Player Football
Selection Sunday – Oct. 22
Regional Semifinals – Oct. 27 or 28
Regional Finals – Nov. 3 or 4
Semifinals – Nov. 11
Finals – Nov. 18

Diving Regionals – Nov. 9
Swimming/Diving Finals – Nov. 17-18

Tennis
U.P. Girls Finals – Oct. 4, 5, 6 or 7
L.P. Boys Regionals – Oct. 11, 12, 13 or 14
L.P. Boys Finals – Oct. 20-21

Girls Volleyball
Districts – Oct. 30-Nov. 4
Regionals – Nov. 7 & 9
Quarterfinals – Nov. 14
Semifinals – Nov. 16-17
Finals – Nov. 18


NAILBITER LOSS: Maroons Football Battles Hard
Monday November 27, 2023
All-U.P. Eight-Player Football Winners Announced
Wednesday November 15, 2023
END OF THE LINE: Gladstone Football Falls, 51-27
Saturday November 11, 2023
Rouse, Kingsford Flivvers Sweep Football Awards
Thursday November 9, 2023
UPPER PENINSULA HS FOOTBALL SCORES/SCHEDULES
Wednesday November 8, 2023
'FINALLY OUR TURN': Braves Take Down Miners
Saturday November 4, 2023
STILL GOING STRONG: NCA Begins Title Defense
Saturday October 28, 2023
SURVIVE & ADVANCE: Gladstone Tops Ramblers
Saturday October 28, 2023
DISTRICT CHAMPIONS! Marquette Soccer On Top
Sunday October 22, 2023
STRONG FINISH: Braves Rout Esky; Playoffs Next
Saturday October 21, 2023
GUT CHECK: Gladstone Overcomes Calumet, 28-21
Saturday October 14, 2023
FINALLY! Norway Knights Outlast NCA Jets, 32-26
Friday October 13, 2023
RUNNING WILD: Broncos Smack West Iron, 49-8
Sunday October 8, 2023
Northern Football Drops Sixth Straight Game 28-12
Sunday October 8, 2023
WAKE-UP CALL: Braves Cruise Past Gremlins 31-8
Saturday October 7, 2023
Maroons Shake Off Slow Start To Roll Braves, 44-26
Saturday September 30, 2023
Esky Juniors, Seniors Battle In Homecoming Event
Friday September 29, 2023
COSTLY WIN: Braves Top Patriots But Solis Injured
Saturday September 23, 2023
Gladstone Braves Bounce Back; Top Hancock 45-16
Saturday September 16, 2023
GREAT KNIGHT: Norway Rolls To 3rd Straight Win
Friday September 15, 2023
ELI RUNS WILD: Rouse Leads Flivvers Past Braves
Saturday September 9, 2023
UP Players Having Impact With St. Norbert Football
Sunday September 3, 2023
'THIS IS SPECIAL' Braves Push Past Miners, 42-14
Friday September 1, 2023
#IGOTYOU: Fundraiser Launched In DeMay Honor
Sunday August 27, 2023
DOMINATING OPENER: Braves Smack Marquette
Saturday August 26, 2023
ROUGH KNIGHT: Lake Linden Lakes Beat Norway
Friday August 25, 2023
ON THE PROWL: Young Cougars Ready To Rumble
Sunday August 20, 2023
Eskymos, Broncos Hook Up In Football Scrimmage
Friday August 18, 2023
Mid Pen Wolverines Look For Improved Year Two
Friday August 18, 2023
NCA Jets Look To Extend Championship Tradition
Wednesday August 16, 2023
LEGIT CHANCE: Norway Confident For '23 Season
Tuesday August 15, 2023
RESURRECTED! U.P. All-Star Football Game Saved
Tuesday August 15, 2023
Gladstone Braves Football Looks To Take Next Step
Sunday August 13, 2023
Escanaba Football Hoping For Better '23 Campaign
Wednesday August 9, 2023
All-Star Game Founder Explains Decision To End It
Tuesday August 8, 2023