AHSAA BYLAWS

From the 2004-05 Handbook
Pages 21-45
 

Rule I - Eligibility

SECTION 1. Graduates of accredited high schools or equal grades are not eligible.

Note: A student enrolled in a high school who (1) has completed less than 24 units of high school credit, or (2) has yet to complete a required high school course for which no exceptions are made, and has not been granted a diploma of graduation or a certifi­cate of attendance from high school is eligible as far as this section is concerned.
 

SECTION 2. ENROLLMENT RULE. In order to be eligible, a student must be enrolled within the first 20 days of the 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 units of work.

SECTION 3.  AGE RULE. A student is ineligible to participate in high school interscholastic athletics if he/she reaches his/her 19^th birth­day prior to August 1 of the current school year. If he/she reaches his/her 19^th birthday on or after August 1, he/she shall be eligible for the entire school year as far as the Age Rule is concerned.
      A student is ineligible to participate in junior high interscholastic athletics if he/she reaches his/her 16^th birthday prior to August 1 of the current school year, and in middle school interscholastic athletics if he/she reaches his/her 15^th birthday prior to August 1 of the current school year.
     A student is ineligible to participate on a team, or in a game, com­posed only of seventh grade students if he/she reaches his/her 14^th birth­day prior to August 1 of the current school year.

SECTION 4.  No student shall be eligible to participate in inter­scholastic athletics until a copy of the student's certified birth certificate is placed on file in the principal's office. (A certified birth certificate is one issued by the State Bureau of Vital Statistics in the state where the student was born. In Alabama, these may be obtained at each county health department.)
      The first time a school submits one of its students to the State Office, the copy of the student's certified birth certificate shall be filed in the principal's office and attached to the copy of the Official Eligibility List (Form 3 or Form 3A) on which that student's name appears.

Note: The passport of a foreign exchange student may be used in lieu of a certified birth certificate.

SECTION 5.

(a) EIGHT SEMESTER RULE. A student may be eligible only eight semesters in attendance after entering the ninth grade. School attendance of 15 days or more of any semester is counted as a semester.
     A student can be eligible only four fall semesters and four spring semesters after completing the eighth grade. The last two semesters, the seventh and eighth of a four-year high school and the fifth and sixth of a three-year high school, must be consecutive.

(b) PARTICIPATION RULE. No student may participate in any one sport for more than six years (seasons) after entering the seventh grade or more than three years (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.
 

SECTION 6. 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. A student who is a member of any high school athletic team may not participate in an outside sport activity in the same sport during the school season of that sport.

Note: Olympic Development programs may be exempted from the Outside Participation Rule upon approval of the AHSAA. One evaluation per month would be approved.

Note: Private individual instruction is not considered an outside sports activity.

     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 that season. 

A team's season begins the day of that team's first contest and ends when that team's season has been completed. An ineligible student cannot participate with an outside team after the school team's season starts and then join the school team upon becoming eligible.

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 during the season of a sport with the permission of the school principal. The schedule of the school team, including its championship play, takes precedent over any outside participation of an individual.

Fifty Percent Rule: Participation (includes practice) during the school year on a non-school team outside the school season by students that will play the following season on the same high school varsity or junior varsity/B-team is limited to 50 percent of the number of players required to play the game (i.e., three in basketball, six in soccer, five in baseball, etc.).

Note:  In each sport, only the specified number of students participating on a non-school team during the school year may be placed on the same high school team roster the following season. Those students cannot be interchanged on the school team roster. A freshman team is considered a junior high team.

This rule does not apply to seniors who have completed their high school eligibility in that sport or to middle and junior high school students who will not play on an high school team the following season.

(Example No. 1 - If four students play on the same non-school basketball team outside the season. only three of them would be eligible for the same high school basketball team the following basketball season.

(Example No. 2 - If seven students play on the same non-school soccer team outside the season, only six of them would be eligible for the same high school soccer team the following soccer season.)
 

     SECTION 7.   A high school student who enrolls or registers in an institution of higher rank than high school or plays on an athletic team of such an institution shall not be eligible to represent any high school in the state in athletics until reinstated by the Central Board of Control.
     With the approval of a student's principal, enrollment in special classes for an accelerated or enrichment program is not a violation of the rules. However, a student who enrolls at another school in order to take special courses is not eligible at the new high school until the stu­dent has been enrolled for one full year.

      SECTION 8. AMATEUR RULE. Only amateurs are eligible. An amateur is one who does not use his/her knowledge of athletics or athletic skill for gain. Amateur standing shall be further determined by the following standards:

(a) A student is ineligible if he/she has received money as a prize, or has sold a prize received in a contest, or has bet on a contest in which he/she is a participant.

(b) Professionalism is defined as accepting remuneration, directly or indirectly, for playing on athletic teams and in sports activities or for playing under an assumed name.

(c) A student who accepts material or financial inducement from any source is ineligible.

(d) No student shall receive more than actual expenses involved in going to and from a contest and necessary meals and lodging in the meantime. A student shall not at any time receive any portion of a livelihood for participation in athletics, other than actual expenses for any specific game.

1.    A student cannot accept payment for loss of time or wages while participating in athletics as part of expenses.

2.    Reasonable meals, lodging and transportation may he accepted if such are accepted in service rather than money or some material form.

3.      Students playing on a non-home team which requires boarding away from home by the week, etc., will be looked upon as violating the professional rule if board is not paid by his family.

4.      A team which plans to divide among its members any sur­plus either during or at close of season shall be considered a professional team.

(e) No award of any kind having a monetary value of more than 50 dollars - other than medals, trophies, plaques or AHSAA champi­onship rings - shall be made to students. Violation of this rule on the part of school officials shall subject the school to suspension for one year. Acceptance of awards exceeding these limitations shall disquali­fy a student. Cash awards or merchandise for athletic performances or participation may not be given.

(f) A student who has lost his/her amateur standing may be reinstated after the lapse of one high school season for the sport in which he/she has become professional provided he/she has not persisted in breaking the amateur rule.

SECTION 9. ACADEMIC RULE.

Requirements

 (a)  Students entering the 10"' and I I"' and I2"' 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.

1.      Four core curriculum courses must be included in those units passed and averaged. (English, mathematics, science and social studies are core curriculum courses. Any combination of these courses is accepted.)

2.    Any student that accumulates more than four units of core courses per year may earn less than the required four core courses during the next school year and be eligible as long as the student remains on track for graduation with his/her class.

(b) Students entering the 8"' and 9"' 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 and must have been pro­moted to the next grade.

(c) Students entering the 7"' grade for the first time are eligible.

Note: A new unit is one that has not been previously passed. A semester is half of a school year as defined by the local school system.

1. Eligibility may be determined before the start of each new school year or at the beginning of the second semester. A student that is academi­cally eligible at the beginning of the school year remains eligible for the remainder of that school year so far as grades are concerned. A student that regains eligibility at the beginning of the second semester remains eligible for the remainder of the second semester so far as grades are concerned.
2. Students declared ineligible at the beginning of a school year may regain their eligibility at the end of the first semester (or trimester) by meeting the academic requirements listed above during their last two semesters (three trimesters or 2 trimesters and one semester) in atten­dance and summer school, if applicable. The regained eligibility of any student may be determined any time after the end of the first semester (or trimester), but all course requirements used to determine the eligibility must be completed no later than the fifth day of the sec­ond semester (or second trimester).
          A student that regains eligibility at the end of the first trimester may not participate in interscholastic athletics until 88 days of the school year have been completed.
3. Only one unit (or subject) of physical education per year may be counted.
4. A maximum of two units (or subjects) earned in an approved summer school may be counted. If a unit (or subject) is repeated in summer school, the higher numerical grade for that unit (or subject) may be used to compute the composite grade average.
5. An accredited correspondence course may be accepted by a school system but must be completed before Sept. 1 and may be one of the maximum two summer units counted for eligibility purposes..
6. For eligibility purposes, special recitation, extra work, make-up work, tests, review, etc., may not be given for the purpose of making a stu­dent eligible.
7. To be eligible, all students (including repeaters and hold-backs) must be enrolled in a specified number of new units at the school they represent.

a. 9th, 10th  and 11th graders must be carrying at least six new units (three per semester on a 4x4 block schedule).

b. 12th graders that are on track for graduation with more than the required number of units earned must be carrying at least four new units for the school year (two units per semester on a 4x4 block schedule).

c. 7th and 8th Graders must be carrying at least five new subjects.

8. The eligibility of a student that has attended another school during the preceding year must be established by a transcript from that school before the student is permitted to participate at the new school.
    

       SECTION 10. A student that transfers from an out-of-state school must have been eligible academically at that school in order to be declared eligible at an AHSAA member school for the remainder of the school year.
 

SECTION 11. A student who has dropped out of school without completing six units of work with a minimum composite grade average of 70 before dropping out - except on account of sickness for which a doc­tor's certificate is required - shall not be eligible for interscholastic athlet­ics until he/she has received credits for attendance and six units of work with a minimum composite grade average of 70 during a succeeding year.
      A doctor's certificate, which states the sickness of a student was of such nature and length that it was impossible for the student to receive credit for the required work, must be presented to the Executive Director for an official ruling, which may be appealed by the school to the District Board.
      When a student is unable to attend school for one or more semes­ters, and then re-enters school, his/her eligibility status will be the same as it was at the close of the last semester attended. A student may count credits earned only in the summer school immediately preceding the current school year.

SECTION 12. TRANSFER RULE. A student that enrolls in one member school and later transfers to, or enrolls in, another member school shall not be eligible immediately to represent the latter school in any athletic contest

Note: For eligibility purposes a student is normally considered enrolled when the
           student has attended school for two days.

A student that transfers from any non-member school to a member school shall be eligible at the beginning of the next semester (first or second) if they meet all other requirements.

A member school is one that has been accepted by the Central Board

as a member of the AHSAA. A new member school's official date of entry into the AHSAA is considered the first day of its school year.

Exception 1. Any student, upon completion of the highest grade taught in any school that offers less than the number of years required for high school graduation, becomes eligible immediately at the mem­ber school that serves the area in which the student's parents reside if all other requirements are met.

Note: A student transferring under Exception I circumstances will become eligible immediately only at the member school within the same school system that serves the area in which the student's parents reside if all other requirements are met.

If a student, before completion of the highest grade taught in a member school, transfers to another member school that serves the same area where the student's parents reside, that student is ineligible for one year at the new school according to regulations for overlapping school zones. (See Overlapping School Zones, page 31.)

       Exception 2.  Any student, after completing one year’s attendance in a school and fulfilling all other requirements, becomes eligible in that school and the high school that it feeds in the same system. (This does not apply to foreign exchange students who participate in athletics during their first year of attendance.)

Exception 3. Bona Fide Move. A student whose parents make a bona fide move completely out of one school zone into another may transfer all his/her rights and privileges to the member school that serves the area where his/her parents reside.

If the change of school precedes the bona fide move on the part of the parents, the student is ineligible until the parents make a bona fide move.

Determining a Bona Fide Move - Sometimes it is very difficult to determine what constitutes a bona fide move. Family and home conditions differ and must be considered. The following factors are basic guidelines for determining a bona fide move: 

a. The household furniture of the family must be moved into an unoccupied house or apartment.

b. All principal members of the family must reside in the new place of residence.

c. The original residence should be closed, rented or disposed of and not used by the family.

d. Nine months at the new residence will be required to make a move bona fide.

     If a family moves into a new school zone and remains there for less than nine months, the move will not be considered bona fide and the family's child who is enrolled and participating in athletics in the new school zone becomes ineligible there the day the family leaves the new school zone.

The student remains ineligible for a full calendar year from the date the family moved out of the new zone. However, if the student did not participate in athletics, the period of ineligibility will be 12 months from the date of the student's enrollment.

When there is any possibility of doubt about a move being bona fide, the principal shall present the facts in writing to his/her District Board or to the Executive Director of the AHSAA for a decision. The District Board or Executive Director will review the facts submitted and may conduct an investigation if necessary

      Under unusual circumstances the Executive Director or a District Board may decide a move to be valid even if all the above conditions have not been met. Each questionable case will be decided on its individual merits.

Note:   Students entering the seventh grade for the first time are eligi­ble where they enroll.

Just as in all other cases, the decision of the Executive Director may be appealed to the District Board and a District Board's decision may he appealed to the Central Board of Control. In the final analysis, whether a move is bona fide or not will be determined by the Central Board.

Change In Residence: In order for a student to establish residence with a new family, that student must reside in the home for one year.

A foreign exchange student attending a member school located in the school zone where the host family resides is eligible to receive a waiver of the Transfer Rule for a period of one year provided this is the student's first year as a foreign exchange student. The student must be assigned by a program on the current Advisory List of International Educational Travel and Exchange Programs published by the Council on Standards for International Educational Travel.

This waiver is granted under the stipulation that the foreign exchange student meets all other eligibility requirements of the AHSAA and has not received a high school diploma or its equivalent.

Note: A Foreign Exchange Student Registration Form (No. 4) must be completed and filed with the State Office before eligibility can be determined on any foreign exchange student. After approval, the student must be submitted to the State Office on an Official Eligibility List (Form 3).

When a student is forced into a new home due to an emergency caused by a disaster, the District Board or the Executive Director may reduce the required time for establishing the residence with the new family.

Divorce: The eligibility of a student whose parents are divorced is determined by the following:

(a) If there has been a divorce in a family and sole or physical cus­tody has been awarded by the court granting the divorce to one of the parents, the athletic eligibility of the student will be established at the school that serves the area where that parent resides. 

Note: If joint custody has been awarded and a transfer is involved, the student must attend the new school for one year before becoming eligible.

(b) If it becomes necessary at a later date for the student to reside with the other parent, the move will be accepted as a bona fide move if the court that granted the divorce changes the custody to this parent. This type of move will be accepted for immediate athletic eligibility purposes only one time. Therefore, if a student subsequently decides to return and reside with the first parent in a different school zone, the student will be ineligible for a period of one year.

Custody and Legal Guardianship: Custody or legal guardianship assigned to anyone (including relatives) will not establish immediate athletic eligibility.

Note: (1) If a student transfers to another school zone to live with an appointed guardian without a bona fide move into that school zone by the parents, that student would be ineligible under the Transfer Rule.

(2) If a student has been declared a "ward of the state" and placed by the Department of Human Resources (DHR), that student would meet the Transfer Rule requirement in the school zone where the student has been placed. 

Exception 4. Home Rule. If a student attends a member school that does not serve the area where the student's parents reside, the stu­dent may return to his/her home school and be eligible at the beginning of any school year if all other requirements are met. If the change of schools is made after the school year has started, the student will not be eligible until the beginning of the next school year. (This does not change the existing rule concerning transfers within overlapping school zones in which both schools serve the area where the student's parents reside.)
      If a student attends a non-member school, that student may return to his/her home school and be eligible at the beginning of the first or sec­ond semester if all other requirements are met.
     A student who attends a magnet school that does not offer inter­scholastic athletics may participate in athletics at the student's home school within the same school system if all eligibility requirements are met. The home school is based on the parents' residence.
     Even though parents may move to an address that does not serve the school where a student is attending, the student may remain eligible at that school. However, if the student attends longer than the end of the school year in which the parents' move occurred, the student will not become eligible immediately at the school serving the parents' new address unless the transfer is made at the beginning of the new school year. If the transfer is made after the school year begins, the student will not become eligible until the beginning of the next school year if the transfer is from a member school.

Note: Determination Of Undefined School Zones. School bus routes within county and city school systems establish the school zones used to determine athletic eligibility. When bus routes cross county or city boundary lines, these routes will establish the school zones used in determining eligibility if there is an agreement between the school systems involved.

Private and/or parochial school zone lines for eligibility purposes are limited to the municipality in which the school is located. If the school is not located within a municipality, the school zone lines are the county system where it is located.

Overlapping School Zones: A student whose parents reside in an area served by more than one school lives in the school 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.

Examples of the Transfer Rule are as follows:

If a student transfers from Montgomery Academy (a private school in Montgomery) to Sidney Lanier High School (Montgomery), the student must attend the new school one year before establishing eligibility.

If a student transfers from Phillips High School to West End High School (both in Birmingham), the student will be eligible five days after being submitted to the State Office on a Form 3 if the parents actually move from the Phillips zone to the West End zone. If the parents do not move, the student must attend West End one year before establishing eligibility.

If a student transfers from Gadsden High School to Marion Military Institute and a year later returns to Gadsden High without a change of residence by the student's parents, the student will become eligible at the beginning of the school year five days after being submitted to the State Office on a Form 3. 

If a student who is eligible at Francis Marion High School with­draws after attending four weeks and moves with his/her parents to Selma, the student will become eligible at Selma High School five days after being submitted to the State Office on a Form 3.

SECTION 13. Any student giving a fictitious age or entering a contest under an assumed name shall be ruled permanently ineligible to participate in high school athletics. 

SECTION 14. In order for a student to be eligible for interscholas­tic athletics, there must be on file in the superintendent's or principal's office a current physician's statement certifying that the student has passed a physical exam, and that in the opinion of the examining physician (M.D. or D.O.) the student is fully able to participate in interscholastic athletics (grades 7-12). The AHSAA Physician's Certificate (Form 5) must be used. 

A physical exam will satisfy this requirement for a period of one year from the date the exam is given. (Ex. A physical exam given May l, 2003. would certify that a student is fully able to participate in high school athletics until May l, 2004, as far as the physical exam is concerned.) 

SECTION 15. Any student participating in an illegal practice in any sport may become ineligible for the next season in that sport.

SECTION 16. Any student who is under temporary suspension or whose character or conduct is such as to reflect discredit upon the school is not eligible. A student's attendance. attitude and classroom efforts must be acceptable to the school in which the student is enrolled.

A transfer student must be in good standing with the students previous school.

SECTION 17. A student who has been found guilty of unsports­manlike conduct in an interscholastic contest, or who has been penal­ized for a serious offense or rule violation by expulsion from a contest because of unsportsmanlike conduct, may be suspended by the District Board or Executive Director from participating for the remainder of the season in that sport.

      A student found guilty of unsportsmanlike conduct may be dis­qualified for the remainder of the season. Destruction of football goal posts is considered unsportsmanlike conduct.

(a)  First Ejection-a warning or reprimand.

(b) Second Ejection-a suspension for one game.

(c)  Third ejection-a suspension for the remainder of the season.

Note: If the second or third ejection occurs during the last game of the year, a monetary fine will be placed on the offender's school.
 

SECTION 19. The eligibility rules of the Association shall apply to all students of member schools participating in interscholastic athlet­ic contests with schools inside or outside of Alabama.
 

SECTION 20. Any student who is eligible for participation under the rules of the AHSAA shall be eligible to represent the school in any interscholastic contest. (This applies to athletics only and does not supersede local rules that are stricter.)
 

RULE II - Reports

SECTION 1. A superintendent or principal shall, when requested, furnish to the Boards such information as they may desire bearing upon the eligibility of contestants from his school. A failure to comply within a reasonable time shall forfeit a school's membership in the Association.
 

SECTION 2. At least five days before a student can participate in a contest of any athletic year, that student's name must have been sub­mitted to the State Office by the school principal on an Official Eligibility List (Form 3) or a Second Semester Only Eligibility Form (No. 3A). A student whose name appears on a school's current eligibility printout does not have to be submitted again. These forms should not be submitted until the student becomes eligible. A student whose name appears on a school's current eligibility printout does not have to be submitted again.
     A student whose name appears on the printout of a former school or has been deleted from the current school printout must be submitted again by the current school at least five days before the student can participate in a contest.
     During the school year, additional names may be submitted on a Form 3, but they must be submitted five days prior to the contest in which each student participates.
     If all the required information on a Form 3 is not submitted for any student listed, that student is not eligible for any contest. To submit cheerleaders who do not participate in interscholastic athletics, list their name and check the "Cheerleader Only" column on the Form 3.
     Form 3s listing students for the following school year will not be processed until after June 1 and should not be submitted before that date. All Form 3s submitted must include units passed and the composite average for the preceding school year.
     The penalty for failure of the school to file such report shall be sus­pension from the Association and/or the assessment of a monetary fine.

SECTION 3. Certain forms and reports are required by the State Office during the school year. Most of the forms used are found in the Entry Form and Supply Book mailed to member schools prior to each school year. A replacement forms book is available to schools for $25.

The list of forms (with applicable deadlines) included in the Book are:
 

RULE III – Contests
 

SECTION 1. An AHSAA member school may not play a contest against a non-member school or against a school under suspension. Violations of these rules shall be sufficient grounds for suspension.

Note: Any out-of-state opponent must be a member of an association affiliated with the National Federation of State High School Associations.

A high school may not engage in contests with junior high and middle schools.

SECTION 2. No interscholastic athletic event involving more than two teams shall be permitted without the written sanction of the AHSAA. Volleyball, wrestling and track tri-matches, golf tri- ­and quad-matches, swimming tri-meets and track four-way meets do not have to he sanctioned during regular season play.

 An application for the sanction of an event involving out-of-state teams must be submitted to the State Office at least 30 days prior to the date of the event.
     A team cannot participate in any tournament that is not sanctioned by the AHSAA.

SECTION 3. All rules and regulations of the Association apply to all middle, junior high and high school contests which include, but are not limited to, junior varsity, B-team and varsity teams as well as to all jamborees and spring games.
      Also, all rules and regulations outlined for the different sports in the Fall, Winter and Spring sports books apply.
      Eligibility rules or playing rules may not be set aside for any ath­letic contest at any level.

SECTION 4. Only eligible students may be dressed in school game uniforms for a contest.

Note: Participation is defined as playing in a contest.

SECTION 5. At least five days before any athletic contest, the principal of each school involved shall sign and mail to the opposing school a completed Game Eligibility List (Form 6 with date of birth, jersey number, position, height and weight) certifying that the students named on the form are eligible under AHSAA rules to represent that school in interscholastic contests. If the contest involves more than two schools, the form shall be mailed to the contest director.

Signing the Game Eligibility List certifies that each student listed has passed the required number of units of work the preceding year with a minimum composite grade average of 70, is now carrying the minimum required units of work and has exhibited acceptable atten­dance, attitude, and classroom efforts. No special recitation, make-up work or tests may be given for the purpose of making a student eligible.

SECTION 6. If an ineligible student participates in a contest, or if a student enters a contest under an assumed name, that student's school will be required to forfeit that contest if it was won by the school. If a student participates under an assumed name, the school's membership in the AHSAA will also be jeopardized.
      If an ineligible student participates in a contest composed of indi­vidual events (track meet, tennis match, etc.), that school will be required to forfeit the entire contest, including all points and awards (medals, trophies, etc.) earned by other members of the team.

SECTION 7. When a complaint is made against any member of a team or for other reasons immediately before or during the progress of a contest, the contest shall be completed as scheduled and the com­plaint filed with the Executive Director for settlement later.

SECTION 8. Post-season games are prohibited unless sponsored by the AHSAA. A team's season ends in all sports (except baseball and softball) when the team is eliminated in the state championship pro­gram.
      Practice games between schools are not permitted at any time.

Exceptions. (a) When a school is invited to an officials' clinic sponsored by an officials' association that serves that school, the school may participate against member schools under the clinic guidelines set forth by the AHSAA. Clinic guidelines must be submitted by the offi­cials' association for approval from the AHSAA.

(b) Jamborees and spring games are permitted only for football according to the established guidelines in Rule III, Section 12 of this Handbook.

      SECTION 9. Official rules of' the National Federation of State High School Associations have been adopted for all interscholastic con­tests of the AHSAA.
      The interpretation and application of the rules and procedures for all AHSAA championship programs are vested in the Executive Director and the Central Board of Control of the AHSAA and cannot be appealed.

SECTION 10. Limitations are established for the number of con­tests and tournaments a school may play in each sport, and the first practice and contest dates are set for each sport. (See Sports Calendar).
      A student may participate in the number of contests his/her team is permitted to play in that sport. If a student participates on more than one level of competition in the same sport during the same season, the maximum number of contests that the student may participate in is the number of contests his/her highest-level team is permitted to play. (Ex.: A student playing a combination of junior varsity and varsity basketball games may participate in a maximum of 20 games, the number a varsity high school team can play.) The only exception is in football where a student may play a total of 18 games.

SECTION 11. No team shall engage in any interscholastic competition before it has had at least three weeks of practice during the current season.

No coach or coach's aide from a school's staff of the same sport may hold organized practice or competition for its school players in that sport outside the sports season during the school year (includes the school day). The only exceptions are the allowable spring practice periods for football, basketball and volleyball.

During the school year, exclusive of allowable dates, school gym­nasiums and other facilities may not be open after school for practice and no balls or equipment of the game may be used to develop skills.

Weight training and conditioning programs are exempt from these restrictions.

Tryouts for any sport must be conducted only during designated practice periods for that sport. Exception: A consecutive five-day Fall Evaluation Period for first-time participants in spring sports is permit­ted any time during the first semester.

The dates for the first fall contests for the next three years in foot­ball, volleyball, cross country and swimming are as follows:
     2004 - August 26-27-28
     2005 - August 25-26-27
     2006 - August 31, September 1-2

     SECTION 12. Spring prac