In a stunningly routine GHSA executive committee meeting Monday afternoon in Thomaston, there was little done to increase anybody’s blood pressure.

          Eligibility appeals were heard, with  five denials and two approvals. A proposal that would allow eighth-graders to compete on the varsity level –except for football and wrestling – for the rest of this year was denied, but will be looked at in the spring.

          Next year, though, will bring a change in football region tiebreakers.

          There will be no more mini games to break region ties, starting next year.

          Head to head starts the tiebreaker process, which now includes a points system:

          1. If the margin of victory is more than 13 points, only 13 points count;

          2. No points for losses;

          3. A team that wins by forfeit gets 13 points.

          More, from the GHSA release:

          D. After tabulating the sum of the winning margins, all teams except the two with the greater sum shall be eliminated, and the selection process shall begin again with paragraph (A).

          E. If teams remain tied after the above procedures are applied, the play-off representative shall be determined by a coin toss. The coin toss, supervised by the region officers, shall be used to eliminate all but two teams and then begin again with paragraph (A).

          F. In the event the region is eligible for more than one play-off representative, each subsequent play-off representative shall be chosen by reapplying the procedures above.

          G. All regions will use the adopted procedures for breaking ties that occur in the order of standings when round robin schedules are completed.

          Other updates from executive director Robin Hines:

          ⬛ Fans must bring their own chairs to the state softball tournament at Columbus, with no stands being used.

          ⬛ State basketball semifinals will take place at high school gyms, because many facilities – college and municipal – aren’t currently allowing fans in.

          ⬛ Georgia State’s football stadium will be wide open for this year’s finals to allow for complete social distancing. All ticketing will be digital/online.

          ⬛ The association’s fiscal picture remains positive, even with a drop in revenue from spring sports being cancelled.