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Hockey Penalties Toughened for 2014-15

December 4, 2014

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Seasons are underway for teams participating in 12 winter sports for which the Michigan High School Athletic Association sponsors postseason tournaments, with stronger penalties for excessive contact in ice hockey highlighting rules changes taking effect with the beginning of competition.

Eight sports including ice hockey began play during the final two weeks of November, with the remaining four sports beginning competition over the next 10 days – Lower Peninsula Boys Swimming and Diving on Dec. 6, Boys Basketball on December 8 and Boys and Girls Skiing on Dec. 13. Upper Peninsula Girls and Boys Bowling teams began competition on Nov. 29, and Lower Peninsula teams may begin Dec. 6.

Changes to ice hockey penalties resulting from opponents being forced into the boards continue a focus on improving safety by establishing different levels of severity based on the flagrance and violence of the offending act. 

Any excessive contact – including checking, cross-checking, elbowing, charging or tripping – that causes an opponent to be thrown violently into the boards will receive a 5-minute major penalty; previously this boarding infraction resulted only in a 2-minute minor penalty unless the contact was flagrant. If the flagrant or violent check causes a player to crash headfirst into the boards, a 5-minute major will be assessed as well as either a 10-minute misconduct or game disqualification depending on the severity of the offending check. Players disqualified from ice hockey games are not allowed to play in the next two games as well. 

A 5-minute major penalty also will be assessed to any player who pushes, charges, cross-checks or body-checks an opponent from behind in open ice. Previously, this excessive contact came with a 2-minute minor penalty and 10-minute misconduct. 

A handful of notable rules changes also go into effect for girls and boys basketball:

  • Intentional fouls were redefined to include excessive contact with any opposing player – not just the shooter – while the ball is live or until an airborne shooter returns to the floor. All excessive contact committed by any player will be ruled intentional.

  • Also, additions to the definition of personal foul were added to eliminate excessive contact on ball handlers outside of the lane area. The following additions constitute a foul when committed against the ball handler/dribbler: placing two hands (fronts or backs of hands) on the player, placing an extended arm bar (forearm away from the body) on the player, placing and keeping a hand on the player, and contacting the player more than once with the same hand or alternating hands.

  • The rule for players releasing to the lane on a free throw attempt was changed to its previous version; a player occupying a marked lane space again may enter the lane on the release of the ball by the free throw shooter. Players behind the free throw line extended and 3-point arc behind the free throw line must wait until the free throw attempt touches the ring or backboard or has ended (touches the floor) before entering the lane. This was the rule prior to the 1994-95 season.

  • Players may wear arm sleeves, knee sleeves, lower leg sleeves and tights, but all sleeves and tights must be black, white, beige or the predominant color of the team’s uniform. All team members wearing sleeves or tights must wear the same color. Knee braces do not count as part of this uniform regulation.

    • A significant change for wrestling affects team tournaments stretching multiple days, including the MHSAA Finals, for which weigh-ins are conducted each day. An athlete must weigh in at the same weight both days in order to continue competing after the first day of the tournament. Previously, an athlete could compete at whatever weight he or she weighed in at on the first day and then the new weight, if different, on the second day. Beginning this season, that wrestler may not compete the subsequent days of the team event if he or she weighs in at a different weight after the first day. 

    The 2014-15 Winter campaign culminates with postseason tournaments beginning with the Upper Peninsula Girls and Boys Swimming & Diving Finals on Feb. 21, and wraps up with the Boys Basketball Finals on March 28. Here is a complete list of winter tournament dates: 

    Boys Basketball
    Districts – March 9, 11 & 13
    Regionals – March 16 & 18
    Quarterfinals – March 24
    Semifinals – March 26-27
    Finals – March 28 

    Girls Basketball
    Districts – March 2, 4 & 6
    Regionals – March 10 & 12
    Quarterfinals – March 17
    Semifinals – March 19-20
    Finals – March 21

    Bowling
    Team Regionals – Feb. 27
    Singles Regionals – Feb. 28
    Team Finals – March 6
    Singles Finals – March 7 

    Girls Competitive Cheer
    Districts – Feb. 20-21
    Regionals – Feb. 28
    Finals: March 6-7 

    Girls Gymnastics
    Regionals – March 7
    Team Finals – March 13
    Individual Finals – March 14 

    Ice Hockey
    Pre-Regionals – March 2-6
    Regional Finals – March 7
    Quarterfinals – March 10-11
    Semifinals – March 12-13
    Finals – March 14 

    Skiing
    Regionals – Feb. 9-13
    Finals – Feb. 23 

    Swimming & Diving
    U.P. Girls & Boys Finals – Feb. 21
    L.P. Boys Diving Regionals – March 5
    L.P. Boys Finals – March 13-14 

    Wrestling
    Team Districts – Feb. 11-12
    Individual Districts – Feb. 14
    Team Regionals – Feb. 18
    Individual Regionals – Feb. 21
    Team Quarterfinals – Feb. 27
    Team Semifinals & Finals – Feb. 28
    Individual Finals – March 5-7

    Second Half by MHSAA

    2014 Week 6 Football Playoff Listing

    September 30, 2014

    By Geoff Kimmerly
    Second Half editor

    Following is a list of Michigan High School Athletic Association football playing schools, displaying their win-loss records and playoff averages through the fifth week of the season.

    Schools on this list are in enrollment order for 11-player teams, with 8-player teams ordered by playoff average. An asterisk (*) beside a record indicates a team has eight or fewer games scheduled. A caret (^) beside a school’s name indicates a team is one win away from playoff qualification.

    Those schools with 11-player teams with six or more wins playing nine-game schedules, or five or more wins playing eight games or fewer, will qualify for the MHSAA Football Playoffs beginning Oct. 31. Schools with 5-4, 4-3 or 4-4 records may qualify if the number of potential qualifiers by win total does not reach the 256 mark. Schools with six or more wins playing nine-game schedules or five or more wins playing eight games or fewer may be subtracted from the field based on playoff average if the number of potential qualifiers exceeds the 256 mark.

    Once the 256 qualifying schools are determined, they will be divided by enrollment groups into eight equal divisions of 32 schools, and then drawn into regions of eight teams each and districts of four teams each.

    Those schools with 8-player teams will be ranked by playoff average at season’s end, and the top 16 programs will be drawn into regions of eight teams each for the playoff in that division, which also begins Oct. 31.

    To review a list of all football playoff schools, individual school playoff point details and to report errors, visit the Football page of the MHSAA Website.

    The announcement of the qualifiers and first-round pairings for both the 11 and 8-player playoffs will take place on Oct. 26 on the Selection Sunday Show on FOX Sports Detroit. The playoff qualifiers and pairings will be posted to the MHSAA Website following the Selection Sunday Show.

    11-Player Playoff Listing

    1. Macomb Dakota, 2814, 4-1, 79.200
    2. Sterling Heights Stevenson, 2767, 4-1, 75.400
    3. Clarkston ^, 2742, 5-0, 107.200
    4. Grand Blanc, 2668, 4-1, 72.600
    5. East Kentwood ^, 2592, 5-0, 91.200
    6. Rockford, 2555, 4-1, 82.000
    7. Clinton Township Chippewa Valley, 2538, 3-2, 60.400
    8. Dearborn Fordson ^, 2411, 5-0, 91.200
    9. Northville, 2298, 4-1, 69.600
    10. Holland West Ottawa, 2293, 4-1, 79.000
    11. Canton, 2289, 4-1, 75.800
    12. Detroit Cass Tech ^, 2277, 5-0, 89.600
    13. Brighton, 2133, 3-2, 55.800
    14. Plymouth, 2116, 4-1, 66.400
    15. Lapeer ^, 2112, 5-0, 89.600
    16. Utica Ford, 2090, 3-2, 53.800
    17. Hartland, 2007, 4-1, 78.400
    18. Monroe, 1992, 4-1, 72.800
    19. Grand Haven, 1960, 3-2, 57.400
    20. West Bloomfield, 1929, 4-1, 72.800
    21. Westland John Glenn, 1872, 3-2, 51.000
    22. Warren Mott, 1870, 3-2, 60.200
    23. Oxford, 1864, 4-1, 79.200
    24. Ann Arbor Pioneer, 1857, 3-2, 53.800
    25. Livonia Stevenson, 1848, 3-2, 49.000
    26. Saline, 1844, 4-1, 77.933
    27. Walled Lake Central, 1815, 4-1, 74.200
    28. Romeo, 1770, 3-2, 58.400
    29. Hudsonville, 1759, 3-2, 57.200
    30. Waterford Mott, 1738, 4-1, 76.000
    31. Rochester Hills Stoney Creek, 1711, 3-2, 55.800
    32. Livonia Churchill ^, 1696, 5-0, 97.600
    33. Grand Ledge, 1689, 3-2, 55.800
    34. Waterford Kettering, 1610, 3-2, 52.400
    35. Flint Carman-Ainsworth, 1568, 4-1, 70.800
    36. Warren DeLaSalle, 1562, 3-2, 47.467
    37. Detroit Western International, 1521, 3-2, 45.400
    38. Detroit Martin Luther King ^, 1507, 5-0, 96.000
    39. Walled Lake Western, 1502, 4-1, 72.600
    40. Traverse City Central, 1490, 4-1, 78.600
    41. Oak Park, 1486, 4-1, 74.400
    42. Brownstown Woodhaven ^, 1484, 5-0, 96.000
    43. Ypsilanti Lincoln, 1422, 3-2, 52.000
    44. Caledonia, 1417, 3-2, 58.200
    45. Midland, 1400, 3-2, 51.800
    46. Portage Central *, 1384, 3-1, 63.000
    47. Detroit Pershing, 1379, 3-2, 44.600
    48. Southgate Anderson, 1374, 3-2, 50.800
    49. Lansing Everett, 1364, 3-2, 53.800
    50. Dearborn Edsel Ford, 1356, 3-2, 55.000
    51. Wyandotte Roosevelt, 1351, 4-1, 75.800
    52. Detroit East English, 1345, 4-1, 72.800
    53. Portage Northern, 1345, 4-1, 78.400
    54. Port Huron, 1336, 4-1, 79.200
    55. Grosse Pointe North, 1310, 3-2, 58.400
    56. Ypsilanti Community, 1300, 3-2, 56.600
    57. Birmingham Brother Rice ^, 1298, 5-0, 97.600
    58. North Farmington, 1296, 3-2, 50.200
    59. Garden City, 1290, 3-2, 44.600
    60. Battle Creek Lakeview *, 1278, 3-1, 75.000
    61. Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills, 1275, 3-2, 47.200
    62. Muskegon Mona Shores, 1274, 4-1, 82.200
    63. Bay City Central, 1271, 3-2, 49.200
    64. Birmingham Groves ^, 1270, 5-0, 86.400
    65. Berkley ^, 1265, 5-0, 86.400
    66. Flushing, 1260, 4-1, 78.600
    67. Midland Dow ^, 1255, 5-0, 91.200
    68. South Lyon ^, 1254, 5-0, 99.200
    69. Southfield, 1239, 3-2, 57.400
    70. Farmington Hills Harrison, 1212, 4-1, 79.000
    71. Fenton ^, 1181, 5-0, 96.000
    72. Farmington, 1178, 4-1, 72.600
    73. Grand Rapids Northview, 1177, 3-2, 52.400
    74. Warren Woods Tower ^, 1175, 5-0, 88.000
    75. Muskegon ^, 1157, 5-0, 97.600
    76. Lowell ^, 1145, 5-0, 86.400
    77. Detroit Renaissance, 1144, 3-2, 45.800
    78. Greenville, 1130, 4-1, 62.600
    79. Gibraltar Carlson, 1129, 3-2, 52.600
    80. Battle Creek Central, 1124, 3-2, 50.700
    81. Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern ^, 1113, 5-0, 86.400
    82. Holland, 1109, 3-2, 52.000
    83. Detroit Cody, 1096, 3-2, 44.400
    84. Marquette, 1090, 4-1, 65.933
    85. St. Johns ^, 1088, 5-0, 89.600
    86. Byron Center, 1085, 4-1, 72.800
    87. Allen Park, 1069, 4-1, 74.400
    88. Auburn Hills Avondale, 1056, 3-2, 49.400
    89. Orchard Lake St. Mary's ^, 1054, 5-0, 94.400
    90. Mt. Pleasant, 1050, 3-2, 60.800
    91. St. Joseph, 1028, 3-2, 58.600
    92. East Grand Rapids, 986, 3-2, 57.600
    93. Petoskey, 965, 4-1, 66.400
    94. Trenton, 955, 3-2, 54.000
    95. Romulus, 950, 4-1, 56.600
    96. Riverview, 935, 4-1, 69.400
    97. DeWitt ^, 930, 5-0, 91.200
    98. Gaylord, 927, 4-1, 63.000
    99. Linden, 921, 3-2, 51.000
    100. Detroit Mumford, 919, 3-2, 47.400
    101. Clio, 918, 3-2, 50.400
    102. Cedar Springs, 910, 4-1, 65.800
    103. Grand Rapids Christian, 895, 4-1, 74.400
    104. Stevensville Lakeshore, 887, 4-1, 81.700
    105. Niles, 885, 4-1, 66.200
    106. Carleton Airport, 879, 3-2, 44.600
    107. Coldwater ^, 876, 5-0, 70.400
    108. Tecumseh, 869, 3-2, 57.200
    109. New Boston Huron, 867, 4-1, 71.200
    110. Warren Fitzgerald, 857, 3-2, 49.000
    111. Zeeland West ^, 850, 5-0, 80.000
    112. Dearborn Divine Child, 848, 4-1, 63.600
    113. Bay City John Glenn, 847, 3-2, 43.200
    114. Battle Creek Harper Creek, 845, 3-2, 44.400
    115. St. Clair, 844, 4-1, 68.000
    116. Edwardsburg, 839, 4-1, 67.800
    117. Chelsea, 838, 4-1, 74.000
    118. Detroit Old Redford, 837, 3-2, 44.000
    119. Plainwell, 812, 4-1, 66.200
    120. Marysville, 806, 3-2, 52.600
    121. Spring Lake, 802, 3-2, 49.200
    122. Detroit Denby, 800, 3-2, 58.800
    123. Vicksburg, 794, 4-1, 67.800
    124. Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood, 790, 3-2, 41.000
    125. Eaton Rapids, 773, 3-2, 45.800
    126. Cadillac ^, 747, 5-0, 88.000
    127. Goodrich, 737, 4-1, 68.000
    128. Three Rivers, 722, 3-2, 50.600
    129. Dearborn Heights Robichaud ^, 717, 5-0, 75.600
    130. Yale, 716, 4-1, 56.600
    131. Harper Woods Chandler Park Academy, 691, 3-2, 52.200
    132. Detroit Country Day, 690, 3-2, 51.200
    133. Muskegon Orchard View, 662, 4-1, 58.000
    134. Williamston ^, 659, 5-0, 80.000
    135. Paw Paw, 657, 3-2, 47.600
    136. Lansing Sexton ^, 652, 5-0, 102.400
    137. Whitehall ^, 644, 5-0, 70.400
    138. Grosse Ile, 640, 3-2, 46.200
    139. Kalamazoo Hackett, 635, 4-1, 54.800
    140. Richmond, 630, 4-1, 69.600
    141. Grand Rapids South Christian, 623, 3-2, 49.000
    142. Wyoming Kelloggsville, 610, 3-2, 44.600
    143. Wyoming Godwin Heights, 609, 4-1, 49.800
    144. Saginaw Swan Valley ^, 602, 5-0, 70.400
    145. Clawson, 589, 3-2, 40.800
    146. North Muskegon, 577, 3-2, 38.200
    147. Birch Run ^, 575, 5-0, 72.000
    148. Remus Chippewa Hills ^, 567, 5-0, 81.600
    149. Flint Powers Catholic, 553, 3-2, 57.400
    150. Marine City ^, 553, 5-0, 78.400
    151. Freeland ^, 549, 5-0, 78.400
    152. Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard, 545, 4-1, 53.600
    153. Stanton Central Montcalm, 539, 3-2, 44.200
    154. Portland, 538, 3-2, 50.800
    155. Menominee ^, 532, 5-0, 83.867
    156. Detroit University Prep, 530, 3-2, 46.000
    157. River Rouge, 530, 4-1, 67.200
    158. Frankenmuth, 528, 4-1, 60.000
    159. Gladwin, 528, 4-1, 55.200
    160. Ida ^, 527, 5-0, 70.400
    161. Hopkins, 522, 4-1, 61.400
    162. Grayling, 517, 3-2, 40.850
    163. Lansing Catholic ^, 515, 5-0, 80.000
    164. Almont ^, 512, 5-0, 73.600
    165. Carrollton, 511, 3-2, 37.400
    166. Newaygo, 506, 4-1, 61.600
    167. Olivet, 505, 4-1, 53.000
    168. Berrien Springs, 501, 3-2, 43.800
    169. Muskegon Oakridge, 501, 4-1, 55.200
    170. Onsted, 499, 4-1, 45.600
    171. Chesaning, 480, 4-1, 56.800
    172. Manistee, 479, 4-1, 53.400
    173. Gladstone, 473, 3-2, 35.000
    174. Stockbridge, 462, 4-1, 58.200
    175. Reed City, 461, 4-1, 56.600
    176. Leslie, 454, 3-2, 37.800
    177. Clare, 445, 3-2, 43.200
    178. Harrison ^, 444, 5-0, 62.400
    179. Kingsley, 439, 3-2, 39.600
    180. Grand Rapids West Catholic ^, 438, 5-0, 83.200
    181. Lakeview, 426, 4-1, 48.000
    182. Beaverton, 422, 3-2, 36.200
    183. Calumet, 419, 3-2, 48.133
    184. Jonesville, 419, 3-2, 39.800
    185. Jackson Lumen Christi ^, 417, 5-0, 76.800
    186. Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central ^, 417, 5-0, 84.800
    187. Negaunee, 417, 3-2, 36.000
    188. Millington ^, 414, 5-0, 76.800
    189. Warren Michigan Collegiate ^, 414, 5-0, 72.000
    190. Fennville, 407, 3-2, 34.600
    191. Ithaca ^, 405, 5-0, 72.000
    192. Sanford Meridian Early College, 404, 4-1, 45.200
    193. Hillsdale, 401, 4-1, 52.000
    194. Hanover-Horton, 399, 4-1, 40.600
    195. Boyne City ^, 395, 5-0, 65.600
    196. Grass Lake ^, 395, 5-0, 56.000
    197. Madison Heights Madison, 393, 4-1, 71.200
    198. Montrose, 392, 4-1, 53.400
    199. Tawas, 385, 4-1, 54.800
    200. Elk Rapids, 384, 3-2, 43.000
    201. Niles Brandywine, 383, 4-1, 57.800
    202. Manchester, 379, 4-1, 55.200
    203. Watervliet, 378, 4-1, 47.000
    204. Quincy, 375, 3-2, 28.400
    205. Vassar, 375, 3-2, 36.800
    206. St. Charles, 373, 3-2, 46.200
    207. Bad Axe, 371, 3-2, 38.200
    208. Constantine ^, 371, 5-0, 66.000
    209. Clinton ^, 367, 5-0, 65.600
    210. Vandercook Lake, 366, 4-1, 42.200
    211. Laingsburg, 361, 4-1, 48.800
    212. Schoolcraft, 361, 3-2, 48.400
    213. Flint Beecher ^, 350, 5-0, 73.600
    214. Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian, 347, 4-1, 55.000
    215. Kent City, 344, 3-2, 34.600
    216. Leroy Pine River, 343, 3-2, 41.400
    217. Ravenna, 342, 4-1, 48.600
    218. Carson City-Crystal, 330, 3-2, 36.000
    219. Bridgman *, 327, 3-1, 48.600
    220. Ishpeming Westwood, 318, 3-2, 33.200
    221. Marlette, 316, 4-1, 49.800
    222. Homer ^, 312, 5-0, 57.600
    223. Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port Laker ^, 308, 5-0, 62.400
    224. Ishpeming *, 307, 5-0, 68.800
    225. Traverse City St. Francis, 305, 3-2, 41.600
    226. Burton Atherton, 304, 4-1, 53.600
    227. Pewamo-Westphalia, 302, 4-1, 45.400
    228. Dansville, 301, 3-2, 41.400
    229. Gobles, 301, 4-1, 55.200
    230. Iron Mountain, 298, 3-2, 40.000
    231. Riverview Gabriel Richard, 297, 3-2, 49.400
    232. Flint Hamady, 295, 4-1, 42.200
    233. Union City ^, 294, 5-0, 56.000
    234. Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest, 289, 3-2, 36.400
    235. Ecorse, 288, 3-2, 38.800
    236. Whittemore-Prescott ^, 283, 5-0, 67.200
    237. Mancelona, 282, 3-2, 28.400
    238. Saugatuck, 281, 3-2, 38.200
    239. Detroit Loyola ^, 278, 5-0, 85.200
    240. Manton, 276, 3-2, 34.600
    241. Royal Oak Shrine Catholic, 273, 4-1, 49.800
    242. Hudson, 271, 4-1, 45.600
    243. Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett, 270, 4-1, 48.600
    244. Decatur ^, 262, 5-0, 70.400
    245. Lincoln Alcona, 260, 3-2, 35.000
    246. Iron River West Iron County ^, 259, 5-0, 67.200
    247. New Lothrop ^, 259, 5-0, 68.800
    248. Blanchard Montabella, 256, 4-1, 48.200
    249. Breckenridge, 247, 3-2, 38.000
    250. Reading, 246, 3-2, 33.200
    251. Norway, 244, 3-2, 32.767
    252. Onekama, 244, 3-2, 28.400
    253. Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary, 243, 4-1, 48.800
    254. Suttons Bay, 243, 4-1, 51.050
    255. Indian River Inland Lakes, 242, 4-1, 42.400
    256. Ottawa Lake Whiteford, 238, 3-2, 34.800
    257. Johannesburg-Lewiston, 237, 4-1, 44.000
    258. Petersburg-Summerfield, 233, 3-2, 38.400
    259. Harbor Beach ^, 232, 5-0, 65.600
    260. Bessemer *, 231, 3-2, 28.467
    261. L'Anse, 230, 3-2, 36.600
    262. White Pigeon, 226, 3-2, 35.700
    263. Beal City ^, 222, 5-0, 68.800
    264. Lutheran Westland, 221, 4-1, 50.200
    265. Coleman, 217, 4-1, 45.800
    266. Mendon, 214, 4-1, 51.800
    267. St. Ignace ^, 211, 5-0, 59.200
    268. Pittsford, 205, 4-1, 36.800
    269. Bark River-Harris, 194, 4-1, 37.300
    270. Munising, 194, 4-1, 41.200
    271. Central Lake, 190, 3-2, 28.600
    272. Fowler ^, 189, 5-0, 62.400
    273. Morenci ^, 184, 5-0, 67.200
    274. Muskegon Catholic Central ^, 183, 5-0, 81.600
    275. Sterling Heights Parkway Christian, 171, 3-2, 40.800