The North Carolina High School Athletic Association Board of Directors decided to continue with the 2020-2021 modified athletic calendar. Basketball tryouts and practices, slated to begin Monday, will go on as planned. A recent executive order will require athletes to wear masks.
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Some athletes and parents have expressed concern about the use of masks during competition.
Basketball games can begin on Jan. 4. The board approved the creation of a 60-second officials' timeout in each quarter for basketball to provide an opportunity for athletes to adapt to wearing masks during competition.
The football season has moved to the spring, beginning in February. The state playoffs start Friday, April 16. There will only be four state champions crowned and teams will only be allowed to play a maximum of 10 games.
The board also approved virtual monitoring as an alternative to face-to-face monitoring of the Concussion Return to Play Protocol.
In a statement, Commissioner Que Tucker said:
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"The members of our Board of Directors have done outstanding work during the course of the last year-not just these past two days. The NCHSAA has never asked more of a Board of Directors at any time in the Association's history than we have of this group since March. They have risen to the challenge and guided the Association and its member schools with a steady and calm hand.
We are grateful to be able to again offer competitive opportunities for student-athletes across the state. We are doubly thankful to the foresight and wisdom of past Boards that have put the Association in a position to weather the tremendous storm that COVID-19 brought into all of our lives. Not only will the NCHSAA weather the storm, we will be able to provide financial assistance to our member school's athletic programs during these difficult times because of the dedication and guidance of so many past Board members that set the Association on solid footing.
As we await the COVID-19 vaccine and hopeful abatement of the current worldwide crisis, we believe that better days are ahead for NCHSAA Member Schools and we will again be able to offer the robust programs and championship events that our student-athletes, coaches and communities have enjoyed for so long."