Dale County Chronicle
MONTGOMERY—The Alabama High School Athletic Association Central Board of Control approved sweeping changes during its April meeting, highlighted by a historic leadership decision and a major update to high school basketball rules.
The board unanimously elected Kim Kiel of Pelham City Schools as president, making her the first woman to hold the position in the association’s 105-year history. Kiel, who currently serves as vice president, will officially begin her one-year term in July.
Kiel has spent her career in Pelham City Schools, serving as a teacher, coach, athletic director, principal, and assistant superintendent. She was inducted into the AHSAA Hall of Fame earlier this year and has also worked as a basketball official at both the high school and collegiate levels.
Brian Jett, superintendent of Fort Payne City Schools, was unanimously elected to serve as vice president.
In a move expected to significantly impact the game, the board approved the implementation of a 35-second shot clock for both boys and girls basketball beginning with the 2026 to 2027 season.
“This is something we have been studying a good while, and our basketball coaches’ leadership has been at the forefront of this decision,” said Heath Harmon. “We think this is the right time.”
The board also voted to extend the mercy rule to include state championship games. The rule establishes a running clock when one team builds a 30-point lead in the fourth quarter.
Other changes were approved across multiple sports. In cross country, starting box assignments at the state meet will now be randomly assigned. Swimming updates include adjusting qualifying times every two years based on recent data, approving the use of backstroke ledges, and modifying warm-up and competition schedules. Relay teams may now qualify for the state meet using aggregate times from certified meets.
In wrestling, the association will return to predetermined brackets for state tournament placement and expand certain classifications to 16-man brackets. Additional rules were approved to clarify how points are awarded in situations involving byes and match participation requirements.
The board also discussed the possibility of moving from area play to district play in basketball for Class 6A and potentially all classifications, but no action was taken.
The AHSAA Legislative Council also met and ratified three of the 21 proposed bylaw changes submitted by member schools.
One approved proposal requires that only full-time employees of member schools may serve as district representatives on standing sports committees. Another mandates that student athletes who transfer after the third day of their seventh-grade year be clearly identified on official rosters. A third requires the association to provide a clear written breakdown of vote totals for all legislative decisions, increasing transparency for member schools and the public.
Additional actions included approval of financial reports from several championship events, adoption of the 2026 to 2027 sports and events calendars, and approval of updated required medical forms. The board also discussed potential rebranding of future state championships and approved continued contract discussions for baseball and softball.
The changes approved during the meeting are expected to shape high school athletics across Alabama in the coming years, particularly with the introduction of the shot clock and new governance measures.
