CHAMBERSBURG — The WPIAL earned a draw Thursday in its quest to retain the current statewide football structure.

At the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Board of Control meeting, WPIAL chairman Rich Constantine was successful in postponing a vote that would have created six enrollment-based classifications — instead of the current four — and shortened the season from 16 to 15 weeks, beginning in 2010. The vote to postpone was 20-11.

The vote was tabled until the chairmen from all 12 districts can meet and discuss their concerns. The next PIAA meeting is scheduled for July 23 and 24.

“I don’t know if it was a win, but at least it’s not a loss,” WPIAL executive director Tim O’Malley said.

The dramatic shift in how football is conducted in Pennsylvania already passed two votes and needed a third. But when PIAA executive director Brad Cashman recently changed the terminology of the proposal, calling it a policy and not a by-law, it would have needed only a simple majority to pass.

That did not please O’Malley, whose group is opposed to six classifications because it could jeopardize the tradition of holding all championship games at Heinz Field.

“When we left the last board meeting at the Nittany Lion Inn (in March) we were ready to go with the three-read protocol and be voted on like it passed two times previous. We were willing to see if it passed by a two-thirds vote.

“But when Brad said the six classifications could be passed on a simple majority, we didn’t think that would be fair. I believe other districts agree. You’ll never convince me that we need six classifications.”

O’Malley said there is as statewide consensus to reduce the football season from 16 to 15 weeks to avoid overlap.

“We don’t want to reduce the accomplishment of winning a WPIAL championship,” O’Malley said. “But going to six classifications and giving us 20 more (playoff) qualifiers would do that.”

Currently, the WPIAL gets 64 playoff qualifiers, 16 in each of the four classifications. If the six classifications pass, the WPIAL could receive 20 additional qualifiers, meaning 84 of 123 teams would make the playoffs.

Constantine said there are other ways to shorten the season.

“This is a big issue and a major sport,” Constantine said. “There are too many questions that haven’t been answered. We want to work out things with every district. A lot of districts have concerns. We do not want to pull out of the state playoffs. There were 20 people who had their concerns.”

District 3 Chairman John Ziegler was not happy with the postponement.

“We’ve already met, and at some point you have to do something,” he said. “The length of the season has to change. We have to do what is right for the students.”

PIAA President and District 1 chairman Rod Stone said the issues that need to be discussed include the start of the season, the number of games and playoff weeks. He said teams in the east prefer a 10-game regular-season schedule, and they don’t want to start early because many athletes are at the beach on vacation.

District 1 doesn’t start school until after Labor Day, but many in the WPIAL start prior to Labor Day.

Stone has instructed Cashman to set up a strategic planning committee meeting with all the district chairmen. The committee is made up of 16 representatives from all districts.

Cashman said he anticipated the reading would be postponed.

“I’m happy that all district chairmen will get together and meet on the situation,” Cashman said. “There has to be a compromise. The key is shortening the season.”

Stone said the proposal always has been a policy change, and not a new by-law, as many members believed.

“Many members assumed this was a by-law and maybe it could have been worded different,” Stone said. “We’re not changing the table we use for fall sports. That would require a by-law change, which needs a two-thirds vote. The proposal was just changing policy.

“There has to be some give and take. No one is going to be 100 percent happy. Like Bob Taylor (male parents’ representative) said, ‘Someone has to give.’ This is going to be a challenge.”

Stone said he’s not sure six classifications is the answer, but he’s willing to work to find the correct solution.

“I’m not anxious to disrupt the WPIAL playoffs,” Stone said. “I commend them. There is nothing personal here. This is a diverse state. Our district (1) continues to grow.”

In other action, the PIAA board approved keeping the basketball, swimming and wrestling championships at their current venues — Penn State’s Bryce Jordan Center, Bucknell University and the Giant Center in Hershey — for the next three seasons.

The return to Bryce Jordan received some objections but eventually passed, 19-12.

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