Central Decatur OKs move to 8-man football
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In a move that surprised many area high school sports fans, the Central Decatur board of directors has approved a transition to 8-man football.
According to an article in the March 5 Leon Journal-Reporter, the 8-man format will be adopted in middle school in Fall 2025 and at the junior varsity level in 2026, with a full transition at the varsity level in Fall 2027.
Mount Ayr and Central Decatur varsity teams are assigned to Class A District 7 for the next two seasons. Central Decatur athletic director Zach Clark cited decreasing enrollment and the challenge of finding enough players to field competitive teams against larger opponents as driving forces behind the decision.
The Iowa High School Athletic Association allows schools with fewer than 120 students in grades 9-11 to play 8-man football.
According to IHSAA data, Central Decatur had a current enrollment of 160 students in grades 9-11. By comparison, Mount Ayr has 142 students in those grades.
Clark stated, however, that enrollment projections place his district in line to qualify to drop a classification. Central Decatur has witnessed a 25 percent decline in enrollment over the past five years.
One advantage to adopting an 8-man format, Clark stated, was the number of area teams already playing 8-man ball. Scheduling would be easier and travel expenses would be cut considerably. One challenge comes with the size of the playing field. An 11-man field measures 100 yards long by 53.3 yards wide. An 8-man field shrinks to 80 yards by 40 yards. Clark said painting new lines on the existing field would be the most cost effective way to match the facility to the new boundaries.
