It’s Official: South Dakota to Add Six-Man High School Football Class

The high school football landscape in South Dakota will look different starting in 2019 as a class of six-man football has been added.

At its final reading by the South Dakota High School Activities Association, the board of directors approved the addition of six-man football to South Dakota by a vote of 6-1. The change won't affect the 2018 football season, but would start in 2019.

Six-man football would be open to schools with a male-only Average Daily Membership (ADM) of 40.00 or less students. Important to note that schools will have the option of playing six-man football and that it isn't required of those schools. Schools can elect to stay in a nine-man class if they choose to do so.

94 of 179 schools in South Dakota governed under the SDHSAA would be eligible for the choice to play six-man football under the 40.00 ADM guidelines. The fact is that over 50% of the schools in the state have 40 or less males attending the school each day, and that is why the addition of six-man football has been considered and implemented.

South Dakota will still have seven football classes with four classes of 11-man, two classes of nine-man, and one class of six-man.

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