LITTLE ROCK - Any player ejected for fighting at an Arkansas Activities Association (AAA) sporting event will now have to sit out the next two comparable events or eight consecutive football quarters, the AAA Governing Body decided last week in its annual meeting at Little Rock.
The doubling of the penalty for fighting was one of nine proposals approved by the AAA. It was approved by a 236-39 margin.
Previously, a player ejected from an athletic event for fighting had to miss only one game following the ejection. Under the new rules, that player would have to miss two games (eight consecutive football quarters), and if ejected a second time, would have the next four comparable games or 16 consecutive football quarters.
In addition, the governing body also approved a proposal that when a senior is ejected for fighting in their last event of a sport, that senior will serve the ejection penalty in the next sport participated in during the school year. That proposal passed by a 254-7 margin.
Other proposals that were approved during the meeting included:
Proposal 1 - Any 7th or 8th grade student at the discretion of the administration, shall be eligible to attend any class, academic program, or participate in any extracurricular activity or program offered by another school in the district or system (at the same level of competition), if the school in which the student attends does not off the same or similar class, academic program or extracurricular activity or program. Approved by an 83-13 vote.
Proposal 2 - This change eliminates the interpretation of participation, opportunity for participation, whether the semester counts toward junior high or senior high, whether the student was eligible or not, etc. It’s simply a defined time period during which a student may be eligible. One year upon initial enrollment in 7th grade, one year upon initial enrollment in the 8th grade, and 4 years upon initial enrollment in the 9th grade. Approved by a 268-4 vote.
Proposal 3 - Schools t…