Up until now, football guidelines were pretty straightforward with the number of practices allotted over the summer. However, IHSA, or the Illinois High School Association, made a new rule change to ensure the safety of the student athletes and keep practices just as productive.

This new rule that is gaining much attention this upcoming season is allowing two more practice days over the summer. Rather than starting on Wednesday, August 13^th, athletes will begin practice Monday, August 11^th. Senior, Running Back, Jordan Brown believes, “I feel as if it’s not going to change much because it’s only two days. Yeah, that’s two days of extra work, but it’s evenly distributed in Illinois.”

Some believe that this new rule change was put into place to ensure the safety of students. As two more days are added, there can be more days to use so on hot days during the summer when the practice isn’t done in full padding, there is an intense practice to make up for that day. “The rule changes are to make sure coaches are doing the right things,” head football coach Jason Aubry adds,” Coaches must have the best interests of their athletes and express this at their practices.”

Being safe for the Joliet West Football team is taking off pads or helmets during the hot months of practice and maintaining proper technique when the team has a contact day. “We are trying to keep students safe and keep our workouts regular, but adding these two extra days of practice may not make the difference,” Aubry says.

According to The Chicago Tribune, other by-laws IHSA are considering include a “dead week” during the week of July 4^th, set to go in effect in 2015 as well as removing the law that has students ineligible to play football for one year if they are transferred to a school in their home boundaries.

Though the adding of two extra practice days may not make all the difference in the upcoming seasons of football, this could lessen the risk of injuries such as a concussion during the season.