Forty years ago, Jamaicans could literally count on the fingers those schools participating in the popular Under-19 Manning and daCosta Cup schoolboy football competitions.

Those days are long gone. We are told that 88 schools will compete in the all-rural daCosta Cup across 15 zones, with 32 advancing to the Inter-Zone round.

In the urban Manning Cup, 40 teams, two more than last year, across seven groups, will compete.

Once again, that admirable organisation, the Inter-Secondary Schools’ Sports Association (ISSA), will be pushed to the limit to ensure that the FLOW-sponsored competitions, which are scheduled to begin on September 10, go as smoothly as possible.

We suspect that, as often happens, scheduling will come under pressure, especially in cases of bad weather as organisers strive to complete the season by early December.

This newspaper welcomes new rules that will allow five substitutions for each team in a match up from the current three. We note the comment from ISSA’s Competitions Director Mr George Forbes that the substitution rule change is meant to encourage mass participation.

Equally, we feel it will allow school leaders and coaches to better manage the work required of their players. This newspaper has found reason to complain very often down the years about the heavy workload for student athletes especially in football and track and field.

In football, students have, from time to time, been called on to play as many as three games in the space of six days, even as they are also required to keep up with their class work. Such demands, especially over prolonged periods, can lead to physical and emotional trauma and long-term damage.

The flexibility allowed by additional substitutions should be seen by schools as an opportunity to further reduce the stress and strain for their young charges.

This newspaper is also pleased that ISSA is again stressing the importance of improved playing surfaces. Mr Forbes has said that schools with fields below minimum acceptable standards will be asked to host home games at alternate venues.

This must not be an empty threat. In seasons past we have often seen playing surfaces that pose real threat to the health and well-being of players — the risk of broken bones and worse being obvious and ever present.

That’s intolerable.

The improvement of playing surfaces does not come easily, and it costs money. But it must be done. And where there is the will, there is a way.

Furthermore, it has to be recognised by everyone, not just schools and their association, ISSA, but by the Jamaica Football Federation, Government, sponsors, and others, that if they are serious about improving Jamaican football the playing surfaces must improve.

It’s just not possible to play good football on a bad field.