2017 GMSAA OPENING MEETING – March 5, 2017 starting at 1:10 pm Roll Call / Matt Schoeb – 33 or the 40 member schools present. The following member schools without representation - Etowah, Hiram, Kennesaw Mtn, Marietta, North Springs, Osborne OLD BUSINESS – none NEW BUSINESS – Fred Larson

Georgia Tech Football – GT is looking to establish a relationship with youth football. GT would utilize their

game field to gain exposure from youth programs by focusing on a game for GMSAA after the completion of a

regularly schedule GT game. GT and GMSAA are working on home game dates and more information will

follow on how to hold a GMSAA game at GT. Rick Thorpe, GT Asst. Athletic Director has a son participating in

middle school football with Sprayberry.

Please direct any GT questions to Fred Larson.

GMSAA 7 on 7 TOURNAMENT – The GMSAA is going to hold a 7 on 7 summer program. Combine GMSAA

competition with GFL. Looking to hold two open dates in July. Please communicate with you Region

Manager if you plan to participate in the GMSAA. 7 on 7. GMSAA will provide the officials. Each program

must provide their own uniforms and the players must wear a football helmet and mouthpiece.

GMSAA O-LINE Camp / Leon Prickett – Host a O-Line Coach Clinic (tentative date in April for developmental

offensive linemen coaching, drills and general information). Host a O-Line Camp TBD with a lineman

challenge at the end of summer.

Any inquiry or questions should to via email to – VelocityFootball1@gmail.com

2016 FINANCIAL UPDATE / Nick Kavadellas, Treasurer – Team Fees per team remain same from 2016 By-Laws at $525 per team / $1575 per program. The Accounting Invoice had an error and invoiced the member school fees at $500 per team. GMSAA will not require reimbursement for this error. 2016 GMSAA Annual Balance Statement distributed to the member programs with review of the GMSAA PNL. PROPOSED BY-LAW CHANGES –

GMSAA Executive Officers – addition of new GMSAA Executive Officer Position – Vice President/ League Affairs. This new role will add a fifth member to the GMSAA Executive Officers. The responsibilities of this position would include GMSAA By-Laws review and revisions within the alignment of the GHSA By-Laws, oversee the schedule committee chair and the coordination of the JV programs.

Riverwood Submission - By-Law Changes presented by James Brown

1. Change the PAT Kick for an extra point to a PAT kick that will equal 2 points. This change would be made for all 3 grade levels.

Riverwood is requesting to remove their non-region games and only participate in a six (6) game region

schedule. The request comes from their small numbers for all three Riverwood teams. The request is not a

by-law change.

Member Schools are welcome to submit "By-Law" changes. Please reply with your submission/change

request by March 20th. The submissions will be published and sent out via email. The vote will take place

at the GMSAA Spring Meeting on April 23, 2017.

NEW MEMBER SCHOOL APPLICATIONS – no applications received for 2017 membership.

GAME SCHEDULE CONFLICTS – send field conflict dates by March 31 – include choice of games times:

- 9am, 11am, 1pm OR 3:30pm, 5:30pm, 7:30pm or split schedule.

Region review will take place with GHSA Region updates in 2018. The game schedule would flip the home

and away games with adjustments made to the conflict dates. Schedule committee will come together to

review the game schedule and submit proposal.

GMSAA CHAMPIONSHIP LOCATIONS – Open for 7A Championship and All-Star Game Location and 6A

Championship and All-Star Game Location. ROME extremely interested as the Championship Host Site.

Presentations will take place at GMSAA Spring Meeting on Sunday, April 23.

KICKOFF CLASSIC OPENINGS – Looking for a Paulding County area host site. The other 2017 host locations

include Woodstock, North Cobb and Roswell.

GAME OFFICIALS - GMSAA recommendations for 2017 season – go with multiple game official associations

to cover GMSAA games - AAFOA, ETOWAH VALLEY, GFOA, PEACHSTATE – (note: GHSA combined officiating

for playoff rounds)

GAME DAY OFFICIALS 2017 PROPOSAL– Current Officials for 6th grade – 5 Officials (4 on-field and 1 in box)

7th and 8th Grade – 6 Officials (5 on-field and 1 in box) Proposal to maintain 5 game day officials (4 on the

field and 1 in the box) for all 6th, 7th and 8th grade games.

JV GAME OFFICIALS - REMOVE JV Clock Operator and 1 Game Official – utilize 3 on-field officials to help

lower expense. The GMSAA covers the expense for 1 of the 3 JV officials.

GAME OFFICIATING CHANGES – See NHSF Rule Book for changes https://www.nfhs.org/articles/new-

blocking-kicking-rules-address-risk-minimization-in-high-school-football/

2017 CALENDAR – dates discussion during the meeting (see 2017 Calendar at end of notes)

GMSAA MEMBER SCHOOL CONTACT INFO NECESSARY:

Please submit the following contact information immediately:

Accounts Payable (person responsible for making member school payments)

Varsity Head Coach

Athletic Authority Official

NEW HEAD COACH INFORMATION – send email with updates for member school head coaches to Matt

Schoeb mschoeb@comcast.net

BACKGROUND CHECKS: COACH CLINIC / CERTIFICATION – CHANGES COMING MORE INFORMATION AT SPRING MEETING!

LIABILITY/MEDICAL INSURANCE COVERAGE –

SPRING FOOTBALL - If your member school plans to participate, submit an email with the dates along with

any member schools holding a Jamboree.

Email your spring football dates –GMSAA By-Laws pg. 32

Spring Football Practice for each school year may be held for a maximum of three (3) consecutive weeks from

February 1 until the end of the school year, with a maximum of two (2) hours for each day of practice and

shall be limited to five (5) per week. A control scrimmage, game or jamboree scrimmage shall count as one

day of the two (2) hour practice time. At school workouts from the end of school in the spring until the first

day of practice in the fall, players may wear no other protective football equipment except helmets and

mouthpieces for all voluntary workouts and passing league game. NOTE: Any modification of this equipment

rule in summer camps requires the approval of the Executive Director

PRESCRIMMAGE GAME –

Run through GMSAA within the date provided to have a scheduled scrimmage after the Kickoff Classic. You

must notify the GMSAA no later than July 15, for assignment of the AAFOA officials.

SPRING MEETING DATE: Sunday April 23, 2017 TBD

Meeting Adjourn – 2:44 PM

GMSAA By-Laws (Pg. 34) REGULAR SEASON

A. Football is a state championship sport and schools are aligned on a region basis.

1. Each school must file its football schedule conflicts with the Schedule Chairman no later than March 31, of each year.

B. All GMSAA football games must be played according to the rules as published by the National Federation of State High School

Associations, and any other rules found in this section.

C. The number of football games allowed (excluding state playoffs) is a maximum of nine (9) games.

1. Only one football game may be played per week by the same team except in the case of the GMSAA Tie-Breaker Playoff

or make-up games due to special circumstances that have been approved by the Executive Director.

2. The football season ends for a team or individual when that team, having completed its regular-season schedule, is

eliminated from playoff competition or wins the State Championship.

3. All games will be played with 10-minute quarters.

4. Football players playing on both the varsity and one sub-varsity team are limited to six quarters of competition in any

seven (7) day period beginning with the varsity game. The penalty for violation of this rule will be forfeiture of the

game in which the violation occurred and a $1,000.00 fine.

5. The football season ends for a team or individual when that team, having completed its regular-season schedule, is

eliminated from playoff competition or wins the State Championship.

6. All JV games will be played with 8-minute quarters.

D. All football games shall be played with a minimum of four (4) officially-dressed field officials who are registered under the

GHSA plan for registering officials. The officiating crew also shall have an electric clock operator whose only duty is to

operate the game clock.

1. In all games, the host school must provide some type of dressing facilities for officials at or near the game site

2. The host school is responsible for providing a crew to work the sideline chains. These individuals must be the

responsible age of 15 years or older.

3. In accordance with By-Law 2.71-c, the host school is responsible for providing security escorts for the officials at all

regular season and playoff games.

FOOTBALL

GMSAA FOOTBALL CALENDAR

Sunday, March 5, 2017 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------2017 Opening Season Meeting

Friday, March 31, 2017 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Game Schedule Conflicts

Saturday, April 15, 2017 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- GMSAA Annual Fee Due

Sunday, April 23, 2017 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- GMSAA Spring Meeting

Monday, June 12, 2017 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- GMSAA Summer Meeting

Sunday, July 23, 2017 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fall Practice – First Day

Saturday, August 12, 2017 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Kickoff Classic Event

Sunday, August 20, 2017 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Member School’s Team Certification

Friday, August 25, 2017 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Official Fees Payment – Full Balance Due

Saturday, August 26, 2017 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Regular Season – First Game Day

Wednesday, September 6, 2017 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Final Team Certification

Saturday, October 21, 2017 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Regular Season – Final Game Day

Sunday, October 22, 2017 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- GMSAA Fall Meeting

Saturday, October 28, 2017 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- State Playoff – First Round

Saturday, November 11, 2017 ------------------------------------------------------------ 7A State Championship – All Star Games

Saturday, November 18, 2017 ----------------------------------------------------------- 6A State Championship – All-Star Games

NOTE: East / West Clinic dates removed – adjusted dates depending on Executive Officers proposal for 2017