Leading off today: There's always the possibility that something will materialize out of the blue, but there's not much potential headline-making material to be found on the agenda for Thursday's New York State Public High School Athletic Association Executive Committee meeting in Saratoga Springs.
For instance, of the several wrestling-related items on the agenda, the one generating the most discussion for much of this year isn't up for a vote. Instead, the Executive Committee is scheduled to continue discussions about removing the 99-pound weight class from dual meets.
The latest wrinkle is that the National Federation of State High School Associations is scheduled to make its periodic revision to weight classes after the upcoming season. Whatever comes out of that meeting could cause New York's wrestling committee to reconsider abolishing the lowest weight class.
Combined with concerns voiced by the Championship Advisory Committee over wording over the original proposal, the vote on eliminating the 99-pound class for the 2020-21 season will come no earlier than next February's Executive Committee meeting.
However, the Executive Committee will vote on several other wrestling proposals, including a slight revision to the season-ending individual championships tournament. The change under consideration would do away with the awarding of two sets of medals -- one for NYSPHSAA competitors and one for the federation -- and conduct the event as a single tournament with awards to the top eight finishers in each weight class instead of the top six.
Whereas only some classes in the past required expanded wrestlebacks to filter out CHSAA and PSAL placers for NYSPHSAA awards purposes, all classes would now have the additional wrestlebacks.
If last-minute discussions get dicey Thursday, it will probably have to do with concern about consistency. Swimming and track and field are examples of other sports in which non-NYSPHSAA competitors participate; there have already been questions at the local level about whether dual medals ceremonies should be an all-or-nothing proposition.
One other noteworthy wresting vote concerns the proposal to change the method of weight certifications by moving away from skin folds measurements and using the InBody scale method, which is gaining wide acceptance.
The InBody body composition analyzers break down weight by fat, muscle and other indicators to provide a more accurate assessment of proper weight-class placement.
The hangup is likely to be the price -- $1,500 per installation. Each section would need to purchase at least one to be centrally located.
Diamond decisions: The NYSPHSAA baseball committee's proposal to permanently adopt the mercy rule that just completed a two-year experimental phase will be going to a vote Thursday.
Under the rule, games end when the home team is leading by 10 runs after 4&189; innings or the visitor by 10 after five innings.
Opinions on the rule still vary -- a lot of coaches dislike losing innings in which bench players could get time at the plate and in the field -- but the realities of pitch counts has swayed some people.
In softball, there will be a vote to permanently extend the abolition of the International Tiebreaker Rule to the whole state tournament next spring. The International Tiebreaker Rule was already taken out of the semifinals and finals in recognition that pushing the pitchers circle back three feet and permitting composite bats has boosted offenses.
That proposal is highly likely to pass, as is one to allow the use of metal cleats in softball. The National Federation and USA Softball both permit metal cleats and the NYSPHSAA has found itself on the wrong end of a complaint to the Office of Civil Rights. Anyone who's ever felt the wrath of the OCR will tell you that's not a good place to be.
