Can someone explain me what 1A, 2A,...7A classifications mean ?

Bama in Quebec · Oct 28, 2016

I'm sorry guys for my ignorance but what makes a high school plays in a specific level of competition (1A instead of 7A for instance) ? The number of students in the school ? The number of people in the city ? The number of years that the high school has a football program ? I understand that 7A is better than 1A ? Any information to help me to understand will be greatly appreciated !

In the province of Quebec, we have a very simple way of classification. It's either Division 1, Division 2 or Division 3 !!!! The best high schools play in Division 1.

Thank you in advance for your answers !

ChattTide · Oct 28, 2016

Bama in Quebec said:
I'm sorry guys for my ignorance but what makes a high school plays in a specific level of competition (1A instead of 7A for instance) ? The number of students in the school ? The number of people in the city ? The number of years that the high school has a football program ? I understand that 7A is better than 1A ? Any information to help me to understand will be greatly appreciated !

In the province of Quebec, we have a very simple way of classification. It's either Division 1, Division 2 or Division 3 !!!! The best high schools play in Division 1.

Thank you in advance for your answers !

Most states operate about the same way. It is the number of students in a school usually that determines classification. Usually your bigger cities, or suburbs of bigger cities, are going to have your higher classification due to more kids being around.

Now private school is a whole other matter, especially here in TN. Let's just say there are a boatload of state championships...

Roll Tide!!
ChattTide

Ratal · Oct 28, 2016

Kentucky goes by attendence. Each sport is classified based on how many boys or girls attend the school, depending on the sport. Public and private schools share classifications. There was a push to segregate them a few years ago since they can recruit players. Sadly, there are a lot of people in power that went to private schools that shot down the proposal.

TiderMan · Oct 28, 2016

In Alabama, it is based on enrollment with the 7A schools being the largest and 1A the smallest. The AHSAA uses grades 10-12 to configure enrollment and multiplies the number by 1.35 to figure private school participation.

The AHSAA reclassified all schools this year. Here is a link to an article about it.

http://highschoolsports.al.com/news...r-school-fell-in-terms-of-2016-18-enrollment/

CoachJeff · Oct 28, 2016

Ratal said:
Kentucky goes by attendence. Each sport is classified based on how many boys or girls attend the school, depending on the sport. Public and private schools share classifications. There was a push to segregate them a few years ago since they can recruit players. Sadly, there are a lot of people in power that went to private schools that shot down the proposal.

Plenty of public schools recruit as well. Plenty use players that aren't in their zone. Plenty of private schools don't recruit either.

BamaMoon · Oct 28, 2016

Here's the breakdown of the way it's done in Texas:

http://kxan.com/2016/02/01/uil-realignment-2016-2018-classification-and-district-assignments/

CaliforniaTide · Oct 28, 2016

I live in Alabama now, but California HS sports classification system is generally based on school population as well. There are five division, with Division 1 being the largest populated schools and Division 5 being the smallest populated schools. Now, there is also a rule that has an interesting twist that deals with highly successful sports teams within a specific classification. If a school in a lower division is deemed to be dominating its classification at the state level (i.e., they win too many state championships), that specific sports team for that school is moved up to the next classification. If they continue to dominate the higher classification, that team is again moved up to a higher classification. This continues until (A) that sports team is no longer dominant and/or (B) there are no more classifications for that team to moved into. The prominent example of this in California is McFarland High School. They are normally classified as a Division 3 or 4 school due to its small population. However, their cross country program (boys and girls) have been so dominant in those divisions that they now compete in Division 1 against schools 3, 4, 5 times their size. I do believe that they are in Division 1 for cross country this year.

Again, it's an interesting twist. I actually think it's a good idea for the most part.

dWarriors88 · Oct 28, 2016

TiderMan said:
In Alabama, it is based on enrollment with the 7A schools being the largest and 1A the smallest. The AHSAA uses grades 10-12 to configure enrollment and multiplies the number by 1.35 to figure private school participation.

The AHSAA reclassified all schools this year. Here is a link to an article about it.

http://highschoolsports.al.com/news...r-school-fell-in-terms-of-2016-18-enrollment/

And class 7A was only relatively recently created, what, 2011/12?

AlistarWills · Oct 28, 2016

dWarriors88 said:
And class 7A was only relatively recently created, what, 2011/12?

13/14 I think. Those schools are like small colleges. Actually bigger than some small colleges. One grade in a 7A school is equal to multiple 1A school's K-12 enrollment.

TiderMan · Oct 28, 2016

dWarriors88 said:
And class 7A was only relatively recently created, what, 2011/12?

2014 was the first year for 7A football in Alabama.

JBama_in_PCOLA · Oct 28, 2016

Sad that Andalusia plays at 4A. I remember playing basketball at 5A and dominating everyone no matter the A's. Times have changed.

TrampLineman · Oct 28, 2016

TiderMan is correct except he left one last thing out of the mix, 9th grade holdbacks are also counted at least here in Alabama that is the way they are counted. Other states have different ways to classifying their schools but whatever the "highest number" generally is in that state means they are the bigger schools.

And CoachJeff is right, both schools public and private down here recruit heavily even though it is not supposed to happen on the public side and if caught the player is ineligible.

Bama in Quebec · Oct 28, 2016

CaliforniaTide said:
I live in Alabama now, but California HS sports classification system is generally based on school population as well. There are five division, with Division 1 being the largest populated schools and Division 5 being the smallest populated schools. Now, there is also a rule that has an interesting twist that deals with highly successful sports teams within a specific classification. If a school in a lower division is deemed to be dominating its classification at the state level (i.e., they win too many state championships), that specific sports team for that school is moved up to the next classification. If they continue to dominate the higher classification, that team is again moved up to a higher classification. This continues until (A) that sports team is no longer dominant and/or (B) there are no more classifications for that team to moved into. The prominent example of this in California is McFarland High School. They are normally classified as a Division 3 or 4 school due to its small population. However, their cross country program (boys and girls) have been so dominant in those divisions that they now compete in Division 1 against schools 3, 4, 5 times their size. I do believe that they are in Division 1 for cross country this year.

Again, it's an interesting twist. I actually think it's a good idea for the most part.

That is exactly how it works in Quebec. The new program (football, volleyball, basketball, cross-country, etc.) will start in division 3 and if after a few years they win too many province championships, that specific sport will move up to the next classification (Division 2).

TiderJack · Oct 28, 2016

AlistarWills said:
13/14 I think. Those schools are like small colleges. Actually bigger than some small colleges. One grade in a 7A school is equal to multiple 1A school's K-12 enrollment.

I think the smallest 7A school enrollment is over 1000 students with the largest over 2000.

cuda.1973 · Oct 28, 2016

BamaMoon said:
Here's the breakdown of the way it's done in Texas:

http://kxan.com/2016/02/01/uil-realignment-2016-2018-classification-and-district-assignments/

District 6
Allen: 4855

Denton Guyer: 2285

McKinney: 2074

McKinney Boyd: 3043

Plano: 2700

Plano East: 3000

Plano West: 2675

Wylie: 2312

Now you see why everyone hates us!

(Some of those figures may be a year or so old. Doesn't matter: Allen dwarfs all of them.)

Edit: also why Hoover didn't stand a chance! Folks back in Alabama think Hoover has a band that is too big (around 325), but ours is over 800.

uaintn · Oct 28, 2016

I'm not sure what it is like in Canada, but there is a really wide range in Alabama. A 1A school will have at most 150 students as compared to 7A, which TiderJ correctly says is, well, relatively huge. I think there are +/- 30 schools in the 7A category; the others have about 60 schools each (they try to keep it apportioned). I believe they redo it every couple of years to try to account for student population shifts.

But some of the 1A schools are really small, with populations at 50 or even less -- basically just about every boy in the school plays football so they can have a team. And most of them play at least one other sport, baseball, basketball, track, etc.

TiderJack · Oct 28, 2016

uaintn said:
I'm not sure what it is like in Canada, but there is a really wide range in Alabama. A 1A school will have at most 150 students as compared to 7A, which TiderJ correctly says is, well, relatively huge. I think there are +/- 30 schools in the 7A category; the others have about 60 schools each (they try to keep it apportioned). I believe they redo it every couple of years to try to account for student population shifts.

But some of the 1A schools are really small, with populations at 50 or even less -- basically just about every boy in the school plays football so they can have a team. And most of them play at least one other sport, baseball, basketball, track, etc.

7A = 32 schools and you are right they re-evaluate for population shifts but it may be done annually.

AlistarWills · Oct 28, 2016

TiderJ said:
7A = 32 schools and you are right they re-evaluate for population shifts but it may be done annually.

Every 2 years realignment is done and area/districts are shifted.

Ole Man Dan · Oct 28, 2016

230kv_barehand said:
TiderMan is correct except he left one last thing out of the mix, 9th grade holdbacks are also counted at least here in Alabama that is the way they are counted. Other states have different ways to classifying their schools but whatever the "highest number" generally is in that state means they are the bigger schools.

And CoachJeff is right, both schools public and private down here recruit heavily even though it is not supposed to happen on the public side and if caught the player is ineligible.

Housing in their area has been arranged behind the scenes so that a soon to be star finds himself suddenly living in a football hotspot. Mom or Pop are offered a decent job, behind the scenes... Amazing how things can work out for a player who may have the 'Right Stuff'.
Yep... Cheating at it's best, but can anyone really prove it? That's as far as most highschool investigations go. It's like a guys Dad quietly going to work at Goodyear or Firestone. Suddenly there is gonna be extra money to buy Jr. a new car. Cheating? Can you prove it?

bama579 · Oct 28, 2016

High school sports board topic?

Can someone explain me what 1A, 2A,...7A classifications mean ?

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