As you begin your off-season work, you must follow your local policies (School System and Department of Public Health Policies) regarding any COVID related regulations as well as the guidelines sent to your school from GHSA.
All GHSA Constitution and By Laws will be followed regarding Off-Season, Summer Work/Camps, and Regular Season for Football as they are printed in the GHSA Constitution and By Laws found at ghsa.net.
Contracts: If you had a school cancel a football game during the 2020 Football Season due to COVID, that cancellation voided your contract for that game with that school, and if it was a two-year contract, that cancellation also voided the contract for the second year (2021 season) game. You have a couple of options:
- Both teams agree to the second year of the contract to keep the game for a second year,
- Sign a new, one-year contract for 2021 with the same school that cancelled during the 2020 season,
- Find another opponent/game for that date for the 2021 season and sign a one-year contract.
Remember, the 2021 season is the second year of Reclassification. The next Reclassification cycle will begin in 2022, thus the first year of the next two-year contracts.
Schedules:
Each school's 2021 Football schedule must be entered into the GHSA.MIS system by March 1, 2021.
Due to the shortage of Football Officials during Week 10-Oct 22-23, Week 11-October 29-30, and Week 12-November 5-6, I am asking if at least one game per region can be played on Thursday or Saturday for those three weeks. If more games can be played on Thursday or Saturday of those weeks, that would be fantastic. I know a lot of you already play games on Thursdays and Saturdays due to stadium or scheduling conflicts, and I thank you. I am asking for those specific weeks for each region in each classification to move games now to Thursday or Saturday to avoid changing the week of the game due to lack of referees available. For some reason, those three weeks always run short on referee availability for all associations.
Spring Practice for Spring 2021:
Don't forget to go to GHSA.MIS to complete your SPRING PRACTICE SURVEY CHOICE for Spring 2021. (Yes, if you have Spring Practice you can have 1 Spring Scrimmage and 1 Fall Scrimmage. No Spring Practice, you can have 2 Fall scrimmages) GHSA Constitution page 62-D.
MIS will be open beginning February 1, 2021 for your selection. Your AD has log-in credentials for your school.
Summer 2021 Padded Camps:
You will find the information and application for 2021 Summer Contact Camps on the GHSA Football Webpage beginning March 1, 2021. You will have until May 1, 2021 to submit your camp application for approval. Schools will be limited to attending no more than two (2) padded Team Contact Camps per summer. One camp must be in June for two days during a three consecutive day period, and one camp in July for two days during a three consecutive day period (no more than four (4) camp days total).
FOR THE FIRST ROUND ONLY OF THE 2021 FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS:
November 12-13, 2021:
- Classifications 1A Public, 1A Private, and 6A will play on Saturday, No Exceptions!
- Classifications 2A, 3A, 4A, 5A, and 7A will play on FRIDAY.
- Playoff Rounds 2 through the Semi-Finals for ALL CLASSIFICATIONS will be on Friday Dates.
Dead Week ONE Summer 2021 is May 31-June 6 (Monday-Sunday)
Dead Week TWO Summer 2021 is June 28-July 4 (Monday-Sunday)
The last day for a camp is July 23, 2021.
Acclimation will start on July 26, 2021.
First Day of Practice in Pads after 5 days of Acclimatization: August 2, 2021
2021 Football Season Information
- Varsity Games can be played on the Thursday before the date of Week 1, or on the Saturday after the date ONLY, unless by special permission from GHSA. Remember only 1 varsity game per week during the season.
- The first contest date for Varsity Football is the WEEK 1 date. NO Sub Varsity games are permitted before this date.
- Football weeks are 1-12, there is NO ZERO week anymore.
- You may play 10 Varsity Games in the 12 week season. (Two open weeks).
- Football weeks for 2021 season are listed below:
WEEK 2021 Season
Week 1 August 20, 2021
Week 2 August 27, 2021
Week 3 September 3, 2021
Week 4 September 10, 2021
Week 5 September 17, 2021
Week 6 September 24, 2021
Week 7 October 1, 2021
Week 8 October 8, 2021
Week 9 October 15, 2021
Week 10 October 22, 2021
Week 11 October 29, 2021
Week 12 November 5, 2021
Playoff Round 1 November 12-13, 2021
Playoff Round 2 November 19, 2021
Playoff Round 3 November 26, 2021
Playoff Round 4 December 3, 2021
Finals December 9-11, 2021
