While the WPIAL decided to extend the basketball season because of the snow and postponed games, some teams believe they are at a competitive disadvantage because of school district policies that prevent them from practicing on snow days.

Those were the story lines Tuesday as teams were forced to cope with another day of postponements and cancellations.

The WPIAL had wanted all section basketball games completed by Saturday and playoff pairings announced next Tuesday. But with the large number of postponed games, the league sent a memo to all schools, informing them all section games should be completed by Monday. Only section games count toward playoff qualifying and positions.

WPIAL playoff pairings will be announced next Wednesday.

"Assuming the weather breaks and games can be played Thursday, the extension gives five days for teams to get in their section games," said WPIAL executive director Tim O'Malley. "One of those days is Sunday. Am I going to encourage teams to play Sunday? That's up to each school district. But we've had games already played on Sundays this year."

O'Malley encouraged all teams to complete their schedules. He also said postponed games involving teams not involved in the playoffs can be played through March 6.

While some teams around the WPIAL practiced Tuesday, many were not allowed in their gyms because of school policy. Many schools bar teams from practicing if school is canceled. The WPIAL does not have a policy on practices when school is postponed.

"That's not something we can get into," O'Malley said. "That's up to the individual schools."

But he acknowledged the "no practice on snow days" policy is upsetting many coaches, players and parents of players. Imagine this scenario: A team battling for a playoff spot has a game scheduled Thursday, but the team will not have practiced for a week before the game. Meanwhile, its opponent has practiced a few times.

Sound strange? Well, it will happen around the WPIAL. Many teams have not practiced or played a game since last Thursday because of the snow and school district policy. Yet their opponents might have had a few practices because their school allows it on snow days.

For example, Fox Chapel has a key game Thursday at Franklin Regional, which has not practiced since last Thursday because of school district policy. Fox Chapel practiced Monday and Tuesday.

Mars, Upper St. Clair, Butler, Peters Township and Gateway are among the schools that won't allow sports teams to practice when classes are canceled.

Plum, Fox Chapel, Baldwin, Beaver Falls, Chartiers Valley and Plum are among the districts that allowed their teams to practice at least once in the past few days. Baldwin's boys' team practiced Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.

"Our policy is that it's at the discretion of our superintendent [Lawrence Korchnak]," said Vince Sortino, Baldwin's athletic director. "When the weather is bad, we talk and give input back and forth and make a decision. If there is any doubt at all about the safety of the kids, then we won't practice.

"But we felt the roads were good enough to let the kids practice as long as they could get here."

Some coaches and athletic directors at schools that aren't allowed to practice on "snow days" won't comment for the record because they would have to be critical of their school board or superintendent.

"To have a blanket policy where you absolutely can't practice on a snow day is wrong," said one athletic director who asked not to be named.

"If a school is afraid of someone slipping and falling, then everything should be called off the minute it snows a half inch or even if it rains a little."

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