The Idaho High School Activities Association voted unanimously this week to support the pilot project for three years, starting this fall.

IHSAA board member Tim Perrigot called the idea of six-man football a “gridiron grassroots effort,’’ according to a report in the Twin Falls Times-News.

Small schools in Idaho will continue to play eight-man football, but the new plan allows for some schools to experiment with six players on the field at a time.

Participating schools will have to create their own schedules and organize their own playoffs.

Perrigot said a number of small schools are seeing a decrease in school enrollment. He said about eight schools appear to be potential candidates for six-man football, based on enrollment numbers, but others such as charter and alternative schools may also look at adding the sport.

So far, at least four schools have expressed a public interest in forming a six-man league, according to the Times-News: Camas County and North Valley Academy in south central Idaho, and Clark County and Leadore in eastern Idaho.

Camas County Athletic Director Randy Jewett said the decision is a victory for “tiny’’ school football across the state.

“Hopefully this is a starting place and we hear from more schools now that it’s been made official,’’ Jewett said.

In the Treasure Valley area, Cambridge and Midvale high schools put together a co-op eight-man team each season. Salmon River in Riggins allows student-athletes from Meadows Valley to play on its eight-man team.

Montana has sponsored six-man football for three decades and has 34 six-man teams. Clark County and Leadore previously played in a six-man league in Montana.