TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — New this year, high school football teams across the state of Florida can take advantage of a new rule passed by the Florida High School Athletic Association this season.
In June, the state's governing body passed the six-quarter rule which allows an athlete to compete in both varsity and sub-varsity games in the same week.
Before, football players could only play in one game per week, one of just nine states nationwide to limit playing time.
For schools with smaller roster numbers, the benefits are immeasurable and they're excited the rule finally passed.
"We're a 5A school, but we're a smaller size 5A school," said Kyler Hall, the Suwannee head football coach. "We usually dress about 40 guys on Varsity. We have a very good young group, ninth grade group, and some 10th-grade guys kind of on the bubble where they can get some playing time on Thursday night, and then we can dress them and get up to two quarters on Friday. Definitely going to help us with some depth and get some young guys some experience."
"It helps drastically," said Colby Roberts, the head football coach at Aucilla Christian. "I would say, off the top of my head, we have six or seven guys off the rule right there. I think we're looking at 22 or 23 guys counting them. If it wasn't for that rule, we'd be in trouble right there. Definitely thankful for it."
The first games of the season for teams in both Florida and Georiga is this Friday night.
