OSG High: Kentucky HS Association Banning Postgame Handshakes, Maybe...

The governing body of Kentucky high school sports has a new policy on post-game handshakes...

We think...

The KHSAA Commissioner, Julian Tackett, told teams and individuals earlier this week "not to participate in organized post game handshake lines or ceremonies beyond that interaction that is required."

If schools ignore the Tackett order, they must supervise post-game handshakes (which they normally do) and report any incidents (which, you would hope, they normally do). If a fight breaks out, the school could be fined (which they normally are).

"Because unfortunately after the last two to three years on more than a couple dozen occasions the kids have forgotten how to act. If you're going to do some big assembly line and you've got 30 soccer players or 75 football players in line and you know you just had a heated game you better supervise that," said Commissioner Julian Tackett.

Here was the first round of the story...
((HT: WHAS-TV))
Wednesday, Tackett came back with another statement saying there is not a "ban" on post-game handshakes. He called his first notice Tuesday "poorly worded" and "incomplete"- by his own admission in a subsequent statement... Here's the new clarification in full... The larger issues Tackett feels are in play have to do with making sure there's adequate supervision if there is a handshake and the officials are not in charge of monitoring the line if handshakes do happen... But, now, Kentucky State Representative Steve Riggs (D-Louisville) will introduce a bill in the 2014 General Assembly that would even remove the KHSAA’s authority to fine anyone if the handshakes aren't allowed to go through... “Not only do I believe the KHSAA was wrong in pushing this directive and threatening school officials and coaches with fines,” he said. “I am not convinced they had the authority to do that in the first place.”