BEACH VOLLEYBALL, being played on sand, allows for a softer place to land when diving for a ball (Wikipedia/Nick Lucena).

It’s still July, but that’s not too early to start thinking about high school sports and the changes that inevitably occur.

One of the biggest developments is the possible advent of beach volleyball, a sport that is gaining popularity at the college level and is already a fixture in the Summer Olympics.

The CIF-SS is seeking to serve up that sport for the next school year. According to its rules, at least 20 percent of section schools must register for a championship playoff process be created, so those who want to see a Beach Volleyball Southern Section Volleyball Championship for the 2022-23 school year are urged to sign up this year to guarantee a playoff the year after.

Football’s Brave New World: It was postponed by a year due to the coronavirus pandemic, but the new “Competitive Equity Football Playoff System” kicks in this coming fall.

Instead of having divisions for the championship tournament – which have been based on previous seasons’ performances – decided before the season starter, this time they will be based on current results.
Weekly power rankings will be posted on calpreps.com so players, coaches, fans and parents can follow their team’s situation and – eventually – learn what playoff division will apply.

Good idea? Bad idea? Time will tell. But does that mean that if a powerhouse has an off-season its ends up facing off against The Little Sisters of the Poor in the Big Game? Let’s hope not.

Division Revision: The lineup of which schools will play in which divisions for other sports continue to be based on previous season records. Here’s the situation for local teams in girls’ volleyball.

• Division 1 or 2: Huntington Beach
• Division 3: Edison
• Division 4: Marina
• Division 5: Pacifica
• Division 6: Bolsa Grande, Garden Grove, La Quinta, Loara, Ocean View,
• Division 7: Santiago
• Division 8: Rancho Alamitos, Westminster, Los Amigos, Western, Magnolia, Orangewood Academy.

For boys’ water polo, here are the division assignments.

• Division 1: Huntington Beach
• Division 2: Edison, Pacifica
• Division 4: Marina
• Division 5: Garden Grove, Los Amigos, Western
• Division 6: Bolsa Grande, La Quinta, Loara, Magnolia, Ocean View, Orange, Rancho Alamitos, Westminster.

“Prep Sport Spotlight” is posted weekly on Tuesdays during the high school athletic year, and other times as appropriate.