UIL proposes changes to high school football practice schedules

Many area Class 6A and 5A football teams begin spring drills this week, and with the regular season only four months away, the UIL continues to look at ways to make the game safer.

The UIL Medical Advisory Committee on Sunday proposed rule changes for August 2018 preseason practices and 2019 spring football, all of which need to be approved by the UIL Legislative Council in June.

Requests for comment from the UIL and Texas High School Coaches Association executive director D.W. Rutledge have not been returned.

If the changes pass, football teams will be required to start preseason practices with two days of helmets only. Three days of helmet and shoulder pads will follow before full-contact practices.

The previous rule allowed teams to do four days of helmets only.

Another rule change is for any three-hour practice, each team is allowed a one-hour rest period. Also teams will be limited to 90 minutes of contact per week, which is the same amount during the regular season.

During spring football, each team can go through 18 days of practice during the 30-day period. This won’t include Sundays, and 12 practices will be allowed for full contact, but no more than three in a week.

There were no previous rules on contact limits in the spring.

The UIL Legislative Council passed a rule in October that will require every Texas high school and junior high school football coach to become certified in teaching tackling as a part of the official UIL Coaches Certification Program.

2018 Area football spring games

(Report updates to sportszone@star-telegram.com)

Keller Central May 15, 7 p.m.

Burleson Centennial May 17, 6 p.m.

Keller May 17, 6 p.m.

Keller Timber Creek May 17, 7 p.m.

Keller Fossil Ridge May 17, 7 p.m.

Hurst L.D. Bell May 18, 6 p.m.

Mansfield Lake Ridge May 18, 6 p.m.

Grapevine May 22, 6 p.m. Cross Timber MS

Arlington Lamar May 22, 6 p.m.

Saginaw Boswell May 23, 6 p.m.

Arlington May 24, 6 p.m.

Haslet Eaton May 24, 6 p.m.

Arlington Bowie May 24, 6:30 p.m.

Arlington Martin May 24, 7 p.m.

FW Southwest May 25, 6 p.m.

Aledo May 25, 7:15 p.m.

Arlington Sam Houston May 30, 4 p.m.

This story was originally published April 16, 2018 at 5:20 PM with the headline "UIL proposes changes to high school football practice schedules."