Classification changes for high school sports were approved by the Maine Principals’ Association’s general membership on Thursday, but a proposal to add video replay in basketball still has administrative hoops to clear before the replays can be used at the end of tournament games.
The MPA’s general membership met at the Samoset Resort in Rockport, making several changes affecting the 2023-24 and 2024-25 school years official. Eight-player soccer, which allows small schools struggling with numbers to more easily field teams, was finalized, as was a discussed change to allow basketball teams with low winning percentages to drop down in class, a move to two regions for Class A and Class D in 11-man football, and a move in cheering to a three-class structure with the elimination of Class D.
The use of replay to review game-deciding shots at the end of high school tournament basketball games, however, was not on the agenda, according to MPA Executive Director Mike Burnham. The MPA’s Basketball Committee approved the plan in late March, but the proposal “has not gone through (all) the channels yet,” Burnham said.
“Because our Management Committee has not had a chance to discuss that and weigh in on the use of the replay, it probably should go in front of them before it goes in front of the membership,” he said, adding that the Management Committee meets in May.
“(Replay) needs to be presented and supported by our Management Committee, and then it will go out to the membership,” Burnham said.
Eight-player soccer, which was approved by the MPA’s Soccer Committee in December, will make its debut in the fall after being approved Thursday. Ten boys’ teams and seven girls’ teams will compete out of a North division, while 11 boys’ and girls’ teams will play out of the South.
In basketball, boys’ and girls’ teams will be permitted to play one class lower than their enrollment if their winning percentage over the last four seasons is below 25% (teams had the option of petitioning up to remain in their original class). Boys’ basketball teams playing down for the next two years are Noble and Massabesic going from Class AA to Class A, Morse from A to B, Waterville and John Bapst from B to C, and Telstar, Buckfield and Wiscasset from C to D.
Girls’ teams playing down will be Deering (from AA), Biddeford and Morse (from A), Poland, Orono and Bucksport (from B), and Waynflete, Telstar and Wiscasset (from C).
Class A football with have two regions for the first time since 2018, and Class D will have two regions for the first time since 2019.
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