Page 116 - 2021-22 By-Laws

Rule 20 - Undue Influence
student or a student’s family for the payment of tuition, room or board must be
determined under an approved objectively determined, need-based financial
aid program. Any other assistance provided for other purposes and reasons
is not prohibited, provided that such assistance is not directly or indirectly to
be used to pay tuition, room or board or used to unduly influence a student to
attend a School for athletic reasons.
Past Link
Q. 20-9 A student transfers to a School, where the student’s travel basketball coach
coaches ,and is declared ineligible under the rule 20-2. However, two months
after enrolling, the travel basketball coach leaves the Receiving School for a
new coaching job. Now that the travel basketball coach has left the Receiving
School, can the student get full eligibility?
A. No, whether the travel basketball coach remains or not is immaterial to the
student’s eligibility. The fact that a student has a link with a member of the
coaching staff of the Receiving School suggests that the transfer was athletically
motivated/the result of undue influence, and the student’s motivation included
the “link” to the coaching staff. Having transferred as the result of athletics/
undue influence, the student will be ineligible regardless of whether the travel
basketball coach remains at the School or not. (rule 20-2.)
Q. 20-10 Must there be evidence of actual ‘undue influence’ before the Past Link Rule
applies?
A. No. The Past Link Rule was established after the IHSAA witnessed a pattern,
in both school settings and in non-school settings (e.g. AAU), where student
athletes with direct and indirect contacts and connections with coaches, would
later end up Enrolling at the very School where the coach just happens to be
employed. These circumstances strongly suggested that the student’s reason
for transferring was athletic and was being enticed to transfer. However, the
IHSAA’s ability to adequately investigate these type cases is limited, there is
generally little available evidence that the coach or his/her supporters actually
recruited the student to enroll at the coach’s School and there are few if any
admissions by students, families, supporters, etc., that a transfer was athletic.
And therefore, to control this problem under these circumstances, the Past
Link Rule was established using the presumption that these type transfers
are athletically motivated and/or the result of undue influence, and proof of
undue influence is not required. The IHSAA has successfully used a similar
presumption in its Transfer Rule.
Feeder Schools and Transfer Students
Q. 20-11 May a single middle school be a feeder of more than One (1) high school?
A. Yes, if by rule of the school system, students who attend a middle school would
automatically matriculate to Two (2) different high schools in the school system,
then the middle school is a feeder of both high schools.
Q. 20-12 Does a high school, which is a part of a Private School system which does not
have a middle school, have a Feeder School?
A. No, a Feeder School must be a part of the same school system as the high
school it feeds.
Q. 20-13 May a student who has graduated from the eighth grade attend a Camp of a
school at which the student has not Enrolled?
A. No, following the eighth grade year, students may not attend a high school’s
athletic Camps or Clinics unless they are attending a Feeder School or have
Enrolled in the sponsoring school. (rule 20-8)
Q. 20-14 Over the Summer a transfer student goes to a Receiving School, talks to
members of the athletic staff and participates in the School’s Summer Open
Facilities Program. Is this legal?
A. No. First, all initial contact with a School cannot be with the athletic staff;
before talking to the athletic staff the transfer student needs to Enroll at the
School. (rule 20-5) Second, prior to a transfer student taking part in a Receiving
107