IHSAA Approves a Number of Rules Changes for 2024
The Iowa High School Athletic Association’s Board of Control held its regular meeting on Thursday, January 25, reviewing winter reports and approving several recommendations in track & field, football, and soccer.
In Soccer, the semifinals and finals for all four classes of IHSAA soccer will move to Drake University starting this spring.
Semifinals games will be split between Drake Stadium & Mediacom Stadium, with finals then competed at Mediacom Stadium, which is a 4,000-seat facility opened in 2023 as a multi-use partnership for both Drake University and Des Moines Public Schools.
Seven different recommendations were approved by the Board of Control on Thursday, addressing specific issues within playoff host criteria, forfeits, scrimmages, and more. All approved changes will go into effect for the 2024 season, which is the second of a two-year cycle. Some of the new rules include
- A new order for postseason site assignments were agreed upon to better distribute hosting within the IHSAA’s new ranking and seeding process for Classes 2A, 1A, A, and Eight-Player. The order for hosting priority, as applicable:
- Round of 16: 1. District finish; 2. Head-to-head results; 3. IHSAA ranking; 4. Fewest district losses; 5. Alphabet draw.
- Quarterfinals: 1. Head-to-head result; 2. IHSAA ranking; 3. District finish; 4. Fewest district losses; 5. Alphabet draw.
- Teams forfeiting in the regular season due to lack of available players will result in ineligibility for the postseason, including Week 9 non-distrBict games permitted for Classes 2A, 1A, A, and Eight-Player.
- Teams will be permitted to schedule weight room sessions outside of the preseason allotted four-hour practice window.
- Teams will be permitted to practice on Saturday or Sunday following the first allowable scrimmage date.
