AHSAA  ELIGIBILITY  RULES

2004-05 AHSAA Handbook (Bylaws & Rules)

SUMMER PRACTICE RULE:
From the 2004-05 AHSAA Handbook:

     Coaches are allowed to practice with their own students during the summer months (from the end of school until the starting practice date for fall sports) and use drills to teach skills.  Mandatory practices are prohibited until the starting practice date for fall sports.  No football equipment such as blocking pads and sleds, may be used until the starting date for fall practice.
     Coaches or coaches aides may not coach their own player or players in competition with another school's player or players nor prepare their own player or players for such competition.  Coaches on the same staff of any sport may not coach players from that school in competition.  (Ex. A coach of a girls basketball team cannot coach members of a boys basketball team from that school in competition with another school's players.)  The only exception is coaching in competition during the one team camp allowed.
      Competition between school teams is not permitted.  High school facilities and equipment (including uniforms, etc.) may not be used for any competition between school teams or competition involving students with any high school athletic eligibility remaining.  School facilities may be rented to outside groups anytime during the calendar year if the school board policy allows. 
      Weight training and conditioning programs are not restricted.
      It is the responsibility of each school to see that the Summer Practice Rule is not violated.
 

PRACTICE DURING SCHOOL YEAR:
From the March-April 2001 AHSAA Bulletin:

During the school year, a coach or coach's aide may practice his/her players from the starting practice date until the team's last game of the season. Practice is prohibited during the off-season, the period of the school year before official practice starts and after the season ends. Spring practice in football, basketball and volleyball is permitted. Practice is any activity using the ball for a particular sport and/or any other equipment (such as gloves, bats, blocking dummies, etc.) used to play that sport. Practice includes, but is not limited to, drills that develop skills and strategies of a particular sport. School facilities may not be used in any capacity during the school year for off-season practice. Students may practice or play on their own off the school campus without any restrictions as far as numbers are concerned. However, they may not be supervised or play in any competition outside the school setting during the school year unless the Fifty Percent Rule is in effect.

FIFTY PERCENT RULE:
From the March-April 2001 AHSAA Bulletin:

Participation during the school year by students from any high school team (varsity and B-team) on a non-school team during the off-season is limited to 50 percent of the number of players required to play the game of that sport (i.e, three in basketball, six in soccer, five in baseball, etc.) The rule does not apply to seniors who have completed their high school eligibility in that sport nor to middle and Junior high school students who will not play on a high school team the following season.

The Fifty Percent Rule is not in effect during the summer, only during the school year.

OUTSIDE PARTICIPATION RULE:
From the March-April 2001 AHSAA Bulletin:

A student who is a member of any school athletic team (grades 7-12) may not participate (includes practice) on a non-school team in the same sport during the school season of that sport. Also, a member of any school athletic team may not participate in an outside sport activity in the same sport during the school season of that sport. A student who violates this rule becomes ineligible to compete on that school team or in that school sports activity for the remainder of that school season. Any student who participates on an outside team after the school sport season begins is ineligible to join that school team for the remainder of the season. A team's season begins the day of the team's first contest and ends the day of the team's last contest. An ineligible student cannot participate on an outside team after the school team's season starts and then join the school team upon gaining eligibility. Tryouts for an outside team (college, recreational, etc.) during the season of any sport are not permitted. These are considered outside sports activities.

INDEPENDENT RULE:
From the March-April 2001 AHSAA Bulletin:

A student who is a member of any school tennis, golf, swimming track, cross country or wrestling team may participate as an independent in two outside activities on non-school days during the season of that sport. The schedule of the school team, including the championship play, takes precedent over any outside participation by an individual. A member of a school soccer team may participate in one Olympic Development Program evaluation period per month as long as there is no loss of school time. The evaluation must be under the guidance of ODP.

PRACTICE GAMES PROHIBITED ALL YEAR:
From the March-April 2001 AHSAA Bulletin:

Practice games or scrimmages between schools are not permitted at any time. The only exception is a 'modified' game during a training session set up by an officials' association before the season of a sport. Schools served by a particular association may be invited to engage in 'modified' games for the purpose of training officials. The officials' association must get the event sanctioned through the AHSAA. Any school involvement in the training must be held on a non-school day.

Summer Competition Guidelines Are Set (4-12-05)


Guidelines have been finalized for the summer practice competition approved by the AHSAA Central Board of Control in its March 16 meeting. These will go into effect during the summer of 2005.

They are:

1. A school may participate in seven days of practice competition per team in each sport during the time school is out until the first fall practice date (Aug. 1 in 2005).
2. Each school team (varsity, junior varsity, etc.) is allowed seven days of practice competition.
3. Each student is allowed seven days of practice competition per sport.
4. Coaches may coach their own school players in practice competition
5. Each day of practice competition in organized events (team camps, Sports Festival, etc.) will count toward the maximum seven days allowed.
6. All practice competition and team camps sponsored by AHSAA-member schools must include only AHSAA-member schools (Other team camps are excluded.).
7. Practice competitions between schools are deemed to be modified or practice contests under the jurisdiction of participating schools, therefore AHSAA-registered officials are not required and National Federation rules may not apply.
8. Each school should analyze the liability issues of its practice competition and act accordingly.
9. Admission may be charged to any practice competition under the direction of the school principal.
10. No practice competition (including team camps) is allowed during All-Star Sports Week, a “dead week”.
11. Helmets are the only type of protective equipment that may be used in any football practice competition (includes team camps). Other equipment, such as blocking pads and sleds, may not be used.

AHSAA Basic Eligibility Rules

(The rules in their entirety are found in the current AHSAA Handbook.)

Enrollment Rule - A student must be enrolled within the first 20 days of a semester as a regular student in the school system where the student will participate. The 20-day requirement may be waived under extenuating circumstances. Note: A regular student is one who is enrolled at the school and is taking six new subjects of work.

Age Rule - A high school student who has reached his/her 19th birthday before Sept. 1 is ineligible. Any junior high (ninth grade) student who has reached his/her 16th birthday before Sept. 1 is ineligible. Any middle school student who has reached his/her 15th birthday before Sept.1 is ineligible.

Eight Semester Rule - A high school student may be eligible only eight semesters in attendance after completing the eighth grade. School attendance of 15 days or more of any semester is counted as a semester.

For athletic purposes, a student is considered to have completed the eighth grade after receiving credit for five subjects of the eighth grade level or higher. Any student that does complete the eighth grade shall establish eligibility for the succeeding year and would be submitted on the school's official eligibility list as a ninth grade student.

A junior high student may be eligible only three seasons in any one sport. A middle school student may be eligible only two seasons in any one sport.

Participation Rule - No student may participate in any one sport for more than six years (seasons) after entering the seventh grade or for more than three seasons after entering the 10th grade. A student who officially participates in one contest of a sport is credited with one year of participation in that sport.

Outside Participation Rule - A student who is a member of any school athletic team (grades 7-12) may not participate (includes practice) on a non-school team in the same sport during the school season of that sport. Also, a member of any school athletic team may not participate in an outside sport activity in the same sport during the school season of that sport.

A student who violates this rule becomes ineligible to compete on that school team or in that school sports activity for the remainder of that school season. Any student who participates on an outside team after the school sport season begins is ineligible to join that school team for the remainder of the season.

Fifty Percent Rule - Participation during the school year by students from any high school team (varsity and B-team) on a non-school team during the off-season is limited to 50 percent of the number of players required to play the game of that sport (i.e., three in basketball, six in soccer, five in baseball, etc.)

The rule does not apply to seniors who have completed their high school eligibility in that sport nor to middle and junior high school students who will not play on a high school team the following season.

Independent Rule - A student who is a member of any school tennis, golf, swimming, track, cross country or wrestling team may participate as an independent in two outside activities on non-school days during the season of that sport. The schedule of the school team, including the championship play, takes precedent over any outside participation by an individual.

A member of a school soccer team may participate in one Olympic Development Program evaluation period per month as long as there is no loss of school time. The evaluation must be under the guidance of ODP.

Amateur Rule - Only amateurs are eligible. An amateur is one who does not use his/her knowledge or athletics or athletic skill for gain. A student may not receive an award of any kind having a monetary value of more than 50 dollars-other than medals, trophies, plaques or championship rings.

Academic Rule - Students entering the 10th, 11th and 12th grades must have passed during the last two semesters in attendance and summer school, if applicable, at least six new Carnegie units with a minimum composite numerical average of 70 in those six units. Four core courses must be included in those units passed and averaged. English, mathematics, science and social studies are core curriculum courses.

Students entering the 8th and 9th grades must have passed during the last two semesters in attendance and summer school, if applicable, at least five new subjects with a minimum composite numerical average of 70 in those five subjects.

Students entering the 7th grade for the first time are eligible.

Students may regain eligibility at the end of the first semester by meeting the same requirements listed above during their last two semesters in attendance and summer school, if applicable. All first semester work used in regaining eligibility must be completed by the fifth day of the second semester.

Transfer Rule - A student is eligible in the school zone in which his/her parents reside (public, private or parochial schools). Any student who completes one year's attendance at a school outside his/her home school zone and fulfills all other requirements becomes eligible in that school. (This does not apply to foreign exchange students.)

A student whose parents make a bone fide move completely out of one school zone into another school zone may transfer all his/her rights and privileges to the member school that serves the area where the parents reside.

Custody or legal guardianship set up with anyone will not establish immediate athletic eligibility.

Home Rule - A student attending a member school outside his/her school zone may return to his/her home school (where the parents reside) and be eligible at the beginning of any school year if all other requirements are met.

Overlapping School Zones - A student whose parents reside in an area served by more than one school lives in the zone of each school, thus in overlapping school zones. A student who changes schools within these overlapping school zones is ineligible for one year at the new school.

Check out these AHSAA publications:

Coaches Association
Impact Newsletters
Fall 2001 issue        Spring 2001 issue
Spring 2000 issue   Winter 2000 issue
Fall 1999 issue