2-game suspension for foul language, physical contact among items on PIAA agenda Monday

By: Chris Harlan
Sunday, June 14, 2020 | 2:54 PM

The PIAA could give final approval Monday to a rule change that lets game officials issue a two-game suspensions to coaches and players who cross the line with foul language or make physical contact.

The proposal, ready for a third and final vote, is included in the agenda for the PIAA board of directors online meeting Monday. The board approved the rule in May on a second read.

The PIAA has since added “ethnic or racially insensitive comments” as additional grounds for a two-game suspension under the rule.

Currently, any ejection results in an automatic one-game suspension, but officials would have the authority to double that punishment for the most egregious actions.

Also on Monday’s agenda, the PIAA board will revisit a wrestling committee proposal to reduce the number of weight classes from 14 to 13.

In May, the PIAA board asked its Sports Medicine Advisory Committee to review the proposal. The SMAC met June 1 online and “unanimously agreed that there was no medical reason not to accept the recommendation,” according to the committee report.

The PIAA board will finalize 2020-21 and ’21-22 state tournaments for most sports Monday. Brackets and qualifiers for all sports except basketball are on the agenda for the third reading.

Basketball brackets will be discussed on a first-read basis.

Chris Harlan is a TribLive reporter covering sports. He joined the Trib in 2009 after seven years as a reporter at the Beaver County Times. He can be reached at charlan@triblive.com.