NFHS Voice: Source of HS Playing Rules
November 12, 2019
By Karissa Niehoff
NFHS Executive Director
When it comes to writing playing rules for major sports in the United States, it’s all in the acronyms. In football, you have the NFL, NCAA and NFHS. In basketball, it’s the NBA, NCAA and NFHS. In baseball, the rules-makers are MLB, NCAA and NFHS.
While the NFL, NBA, MLB and NCAA can be used on first reference without explanation, many people are unfamiliar with the NFHS. And yet the NFHS has been around as long – or longer – than the other four major sports organizations.
In many cases, references to NFHS rules – not only in these three major sports but the other 14 sports for which the organization writes rules – are simply noted as “high school rules.” The reality, however, is that the NFHS – the National Federation of State High School Associations – has been the national organization most directly focused on sports playing rules in the past 90 years since it published its first Football Rules Book in 1932.
With almost eight million participants in high school sports, NFHS rules are written for more individuals than all other levels of sports combined. As a result, risk minimization and the fundamentals of good sportsmanship are paramount to the rules-writing process for the NFHS and often are the distinguishing factors from rules at the higher levels of the sport.
Perhaps football is the best example of the commitment to risk minimization. In the mid-1970s, the NFHS was at the forefront of change when it outlawed spearing in high school football. The 1976 rule revision changed the landscape of high school football from an injury standpoint – from a high of 36 direct fatalities in 1968 to an average of about two per year by 2018.
Some people have questioned why there are multiple rules codes for a sport. Very simply, NFHS rules for high school play must be different than at the college and professional levels.
As an example, while professional baseball is concerned with how fast a baseball exits the batter’s box (Velocity Exit Speed) and how far the ball travels on a home run, the NFHS has enacted bat standards during the past 20 years to reduce the speed of balls coming off aluminum bats. In wrestling, the NFHS has enacted strict weight-management plans to reduce the risk of health issues. In ice hockey, while fighting is an accepted part of the sport at the professional level, NFHS rules have strict rules prohibiting all forms of unsportsmanlike conduct. In football, NFHS rules do not permit the excessive celebration displays following touchdowns that occur during NFL games.
In addition to risk minimization and sportsmanship, the NFHS must also weigh financial implications for schools when considering equipment and uniform changes. With schools ranging in size from less than 100 to more than 5,000 students, decisions must be made for the masses and cannot put undue financial hardships on schools.
NFHS rules are also written with the understanding that appropriate behavior begins with the coach, who is responsible for ensuring that his or her team exhibits good sporting behavior. Many penalties for unsportsmanlike conduct on the team are first directed against the coach.
While the NFHS and its member state associations govern the high school place in various sports – not only with playing rules but other issues as well – we maintain relationships with the National Governing Bodies (NGBs) in these sports to assist in meeting the needs of all participants.
Last week, the NFHS hosted a summit of various leaders of NGBs in Indianapolis. Leaders from about 15 NGBs were set to meet with NFHS staff to discuss various initiatives and opportunities for collaborative programs. We hope this is the first of many such meetings as it is crucial that all levels of sport work together to ensure ongoing opportunities for all sports participants.
Dr. Karissa L. Niehoff is in her second year as executive director of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) in Indianapolis, Indiana. She is the first female to head the national leadership organization for high school athletics and performing arts activities and the sixth full-time executive director of the NFHS, which celebrated its 100th year of service during the 2018-19 school year. She previously was executive director of the Connecticut Association of Schools-Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference for seven years.
Lifelong Hawkeye: Joostberns Continues Legacy of Service in Hamilton
By
Zach Harig
Hamilton Community Schools
September 19, 2025
For nearly half a century, the voice behind Friday night football games in Hamilton has belonged to one man: Loren Joostberns.
A 1970 graduate of Hamilton High School, Joostberns has worn many hats in his hometown – teacher, coach, announcer, scorekeeper, school board member – but all of them share a common thread: a deep commitment to giving back to the community that raised him.
“This is my 45th year of announcing football games for Hamilton,” Joostberns said proudly, his voice carrying the same warmth that has welcomed fans to Hawkeye Stadium for decades. “I’ve done some volleyball, a lot of wrestling, occasionally some basketball, but mostly the scorebook in basketball for 44 years, and I do announce baseball in the spring now, which has been fun.”
With so much experience and history from the community, Joostberns is regularly asked to serve as the voice of many school district and community videos. His voice is arguably the most recognizable in town. From morning coffee at the round table at the local restaurant in town, to school board meetings, to microphones all around the district, Joostberns is seen and heard no matter where he goes around Hamilton.
Building a life in Hamilton
Not many can claim that they have been involved in a school district before it was even a school district.
However, Joostberns can make that claim as he was in kindergarten in 1957-58, with Hamilton becoming its own school district on June 23, 1958. He then continued in the school district as a student through graduation.
After graduating from Hamilton and then Hope College, Joostberns returned to the district as a teacher. He taught for 30 years, then continued his connection to the classroom as a substitute teacher for another nine. Today, he remains an active part of Hamilton Community Schools as Board of Education secretary, now in his 13th year of service.
Through it all, he has found joy in staying close to athletics. Since announcing his first football game in 1981, he’s become a fixture at sporting events year-round. His passion is not about statistics or wins and losses – it’s about making sure young athletes have the best possible experiences.
“I think one thing is, what can you do to contribute to kids having good experiences?” he said. “That’s one thing I always keep in the back of my mind. You want to do what you can to help kids have positive experiences, and if that contributes in a small way, then it’s worth it.”
Of course, Joostberns admits there’s a little fun in the job, too. “You’re in the center of the action. I’ve got the best seat in the house for football, and for basketball you’re at center court. You get to know the officials, get to know people from other schools, and it’s a good way to be involved.”
Memories from the press box
The Hamilton facilities Joostberns works in today look nothing like what he started with in the early 1980s. He chuckled as he recalled the first press box from which he worked.
“In football, if you would have seen what we had in Hamilton back in 1981 and 1982 compared to what we have now in terms of facilities, it’s incredible,” he said. “The press box was a little green building basically on stilts that swayed with heavy winds, and it held six people – two coaches from each team on either side and an announcer and timer in the middle. You were elbow to elbow and you felt in a precarious position because you didn’t know if the press box was going to stand up or not.”
That humble start makes him especially proud to see how the district has grown its athletic facilities and opportunities for students.
While Joostberns has devoted his life to Hamilton, he also holds a special passion for the University of Michigan. He has been a season ticket holder for 51 years, attending countless games at “The Big House” in Ann Arbor. The dual loyalties complement one another: Hamilton football on Fridays and Michigan football on Saturdays.
But no matter how big the stage gets, his heart always comes back to Hamilton. “At Hamilton, we have always prided ourselves in trying our best to do the best we can for kids, to do things the right way,” Joostberns said. “That’s why I’ve stayed involved for so long.”
Lasting Legacy
Few communities can point to someone who has continuously served across so many different roles for more than four decades.
Joostberns’ contributions can’t be measured in titles or statistics, but rather in the memories he has helped shape – whether it’s an athlete hearing his name announced before a big play, a student remembering him as a teacher, or a fellow community member working alongside him on the school board. Numerous times a year, veteran opposing coaches greet Joostberns before the game to say hi because he is such a staple of the community and school district. His warm and friendly demeanor is appreciated by all, both on the home and opposing sidelines.
Hamilton’s athletic director and coaches often describe him as the kind of person every school hopes to have: reliable, passionate, and selfless. He doesn’t do it for recognition, but for the chance to leave things a little better than he found them.
For Joostberns, the motivation is simple: “It’s about helping kids, and being part of something bigger than yourself.”
And for Hamilton, the community is grateful that one of its own has been willing to give back for so many years. As recognition for his countless years of service in and out of the classroom, “Mr. Hamilton” was honored with the high school basketball court being renamed the Loren Joostberns Court in 2021.
From the rickety old press box of 1981 to the modern facilities of today, from chalkboards in the classroom to discussions in the boardroom, Joostberns has remained a steady, positive presence. His story is a reminder of how one person’s steady commitment over a lifetime can shape a school and community for generations.
Not all lessons or legacies are cemented in the classrooms or fields, but some are passed on from behind the mic and echoed over the airwaves for all to hear and cherish.
PHOTOS (Top) Hamilton’s Loren Joostberns poses for a photo in front of the high school stadium this fall. (Middle) Joostberns has served the district in several roles over the years, including as a member of the school board. (Below) Joostberns takes a moment for a photo while behind the microphone. (Photos courtesy of Hamilton Community Schools.)