Wisconsin Football Coaches Association

Coaches,

As we move forward with football only conferences there will be constitutional items to discuss when you meet as a new conference. These constitutional items usually have to go through a process where they have to be approved and passed by coaches, athletic directors, and administration. A lot of these items will not take a long time, but others will. I have experienced items this past year where coaches came from different conferences and therefore had different viewpoints on how things should be done. A simple point was when the all-conference will be released to the media, some wanted one week after the all-conference meeting while others did not want it released until all teams in the conference were done in the playoffs.

Because of this we have developed some thoughts for you to think about when you get together as a new football only conference. By no means is this a complete list – but a list of things that you might want to think about.

John Hoch, President WFCA

Football -- I suggest that everyone brings a copy of their present constitution to compare when teams are getting together to form the football only conferences bylaws. Below are items for you to think about, we know this is not a complete list.

• Starting Times     
  • Lower Levels and Varsity
• Length of Quarter    
  • Lower Levels and Varsity
• Half-Time    
  • Length of Half Time 
  • Lower Levels and Varsity
• Conference Standings   
  • Varsity – Conference standings – conference games and crossovers
• Determining Conference Champion
  • Follow WIAA Rules for Determining Champion
• Conference Tie Breaker for WIAA Playoffs
  • Conference tie breakers for use in the WIAA 
• Officials – Hiring    
  • The conference commissioner hires and assigns varsity
  • Local athletic director hires officials for home games at lower levels
• Pre-Game Procedures    
  • 5:00 p.m. – Locker rooms available for visiting team
  • 6:40 p.m. – Coin flip
  • 6:45 p.m. – Field is made available for the band.  
  • 6:55 p.m. – National Anthem
  • Followed by Introduction of players
  • 7:00 p.m. – Kick-Off
• Overtime Games    
  • WIAA overtime rule is used at the Varsity levels only.  
• 35 Point Rule
  • The 35 point rule – all levels
• Uniforms    
  • HOME Team will wear dark colored uniforms.
• Team Make-Up
  • Varsity – any eligible player may participate
  • Junior Varsity – No seniors are allowed to play on JV teams.
  • Freshman – Freshmen and sophomores (with mutual consent) may participate.
• Statistics Reporting on WisSports.net
  • The WFCA endorses stats entry on WSN as a way to create transparency in the process as well as promote the players and teams in the state. Stats entry is a requirement by the WFCA for All-Region, All-State, and All-Star Game nominations and it is recommended that conferences make it a requirement as well for varsity teams
  • Suggested weekly deadline of Sunday night

ALL-CONFERENCE SELECTION PROCESS
All voting and balloting results will be shared with all the head coaches.

Team Make-Up    

• The teams should reflect what is recognized by the WFCA – that would make it easier for moving forward for all region and all-state recognition.
• The WFCA has the following:
  • Offense – QB, RB, SE, TE/FB, OL
  • Defense – Interior DL, DE, Inside LB, Outside LB, DB
  • Specialties – Punter, Kicker

Format for Selection    

• How nominations are collected?
• Process for Voting (WFCA Method)
• Meeting for all-conference – who attends – when is meeting
• Vote for players in your order of preference.  W.F.C.A. point ranking procedure will be followed.  Coaches cannot vote for their own players.  An Athletic Director will be assigned to attend an All-Conference meeting. Ties for 1st or 2nd Team all those tied will be considered a member of that team.  

Player of the Year

• Offensive Player of the Year        Defensive Player of the Year
• Offensive Lineman of the Year        Defensive Lineman of the Year  

Coach of the Year    Head Coach of the Year        Assistant Coach of the Year
Media Release    When is it released
Awards    Type of Awards – Individual and Team