Indoor track was reinstated and the state outdoor track qualifying procedure was revised Wednesday at the quarterly meeting of the Central Board of the Alabama High School Athletic Association at its Montgomery office.
Indoor track, discontinued after the 2007 season until adequate facilities became available, will resume as a championship sport Feb. 3-4, 2012, at the new multi-purpose facility being constructed in Birmingham. The regular season will again be during the month of January.
Molley McGregor, coordinator for the new facility, made a presentation to the Central Board describing the world-class facility that will also present other site opportunities for AHSAA swimming and volleyball events.
Under the revised outdoor track qualifying procedure, which amends the 2011 Spring Sports book and goes into effect for the upcoming season, the top five performances meeting qualifying standards for each event per class at each of four sections will qualify for the state meet in addition to the next four best performances meeting qualifying standards from all four sections for each classification event. This procedure continues to place a maximum 24 qualifiers (3 heats) in each state meet event. The latest electronic timing equipment and software programs permit a quick setup of the state meet.

Central Board action in other main agenda items:
· Approved a return, beginning in the 2011 football season, to a playoff bracket rotation that begins in the first round. South Regions 1 through 4 and North Regions 5 through 8 will rotate first-round opponents annually. North and South bracket opponents will meet only in the Super 6 finals. (In 2011, region 1 will be paired with region 3 and region 2 with region 4. In 2012, it will change again.)
· Approved a lighted American Flag display in front of the AHSAA Office Building. The display will also include the Alabama State Flag and a special AHSAA Flag currently being designed.
· Denied an appeal of Pope John Paul II High School of Huntsville in an eligibility case.
· Discussed possible alternative procedures for assigning contest officials for playoffs.
· Reviewed Legislative Proposals to be considered by member schools in February. The schools will also have the opportunity to participate in a general AHSAA survey to be conducted during the same month.
· Approved the financial reports of the 2010 Elite Eight State Volleyball Tournament, the 2010 State Cross Country Meet and the 2010 State Swimming & Diving Meet.
· Congratulated AHSAA Assistant Director Alan Mitchell for being selected the recipient of the NFHS State Association Citation to be presented in July at the NFHS National Summer Meeting in Philadelphia, Pa.