by Michael O’Brien (Director of Athletics, Fox Chapel Area School District)
Question: What is the history of the WPIAL and PIAA?
Answer: The Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL) was founded in 1906 by a handful of representatives from Allegheny County. Their goal was to create a fair-play environment in interscholastic athletic competitions by regulating and standardizing the rules at the junior high, middle, and high school levels. The effort was so successful that a statewide effort, the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA), was launched in 1914.
Question: How many schools are represented in the WPIAL?
Answer: The WPIAL is comprised of 141 schools representing 10 counties. The WPIAL is one of 12 districts that make up the PIAA.
Question: Who determines the rules and regulations for interscholastic sports?
Answer: Most rules come directly from the guidelines set forth by the National High School Federation of High School Athletics (NFHS), with the exception of golf and tennis. The PIAA has adopted rules for those sports based upon those established by each sport’s national governing bodies.
Question: Who determines the schedules for each sport?
Answer: The WPIAL sets section schedules, but it is up to each district’s athletic director and the respective coaches to determine non-section schedules. Also, it is the athletic director’s responsibility to make changes, if necessary, based upon factors such as field conflicts, school activities (open houses), or inclement weather.
Question: How are the dates for preseason determined?
Answer: The PIAA sets the preseason date each year based upon when Labor Day falls. Two weeks are allotted for pre season practices, except for football and golf. Football has an additional week of pre season designated for heat acclimation practices.
Question: Why did the PIAA decide to expand the classification system from four to six?
Answer: The PIAA made the decision after looking at other states our size and how they made their systems more equitable and safe for all teams. They determined playing like-sized schools would be one way to achieve these goals and would allow more schools and individuals to qualify and participate in the postseason playoff system.
Question: Why do some sports have six classifications and others do not?
Answer: The number of classifications was determined by how many schools in the state offer that particular sport and the student population.
Question: How are the sites and pairings determined for playoff games?
Answer: Every sport has a committee made up of athletic directors, principals, superintendents, and assistant superintendents who determine the brackets for each tournament. The WPIAL sets all of the prices and schedules for the playoffs and the PIAA does the same for all state championship competitions. Schools and venues interested in hosting games must submit proposals to the WPIAL or the PIAA.