City Teams Begin to Huddle Up : High school football: With two-a-days banned, preseason conditioning is off to an early start.

Sure, it’s early. Sure, it’s hot.

But this is precisely the way most City Section football coaches wanted it.

Preseason conditioning for City football teams already is underway, believed to be the earliest that players and coaches have been permitted to meet in preparation for the fall high school season. The season begins Sept. 9.

Because of rule changes backed by the City’s L.A. Football Coaches Assn., two-a-day practices have been eliminated, but coaches were permitted to meet with players for conditioning drills starting Monday. The City is providing busing for players who live outside the San Fernando Valley.

Two-a-day practices were scrubbed because of their inherent advantage to schools on the traditional academic calendar. Players at year-round schools are in classes all morning.

“We have 13 schools on (the year-round calendar) and it wasn’t really fair,” City Commissioner Barbara Fiege said. “They can only practice once a day.”

The conditioning period, during which teams also are permitted to walk through plays, ends Aug. 16.

From Aug. 17-19, players may practice while wearing helmets and shorts. On Aug. 22, practice in full pads begins.

Last summer, conditioning didn’t begin until mid-August.

Predictably, there are trade-offs under the new schedule.

Reseda High players began conditioning Monday, while other schools are expected to begin at various times this week. It makes for a long season, to be sure.

“It’s getting out of hand,” said Reseda Coach Joel Schaeffer, who is entering his 16th season. “It takes away too much of the summer.”

Conversely, Schaeffer said, the changes allow players to become gradually immersed in the sport, rather than be subjected to the two-a-day crash course.

Conditioning at Southern Section schools takes place August 22-24. Full practice begins August 25 with most openers set for Sept. 9.

At the behest of the football coaches association, the City also modified the playoff system. Instead of teams playing the season as members of the 3-A or 4-A divisions, teams will be placed into the 3-A or 4-A playoffs based on won-loss records and perceived strength at the end of the season.