Page 107 - 2022-23 By-Laws

Rule 19 - Eligibility and Transfer

RULE 19 – ELIGIBILITY AND TRANSFER
(Also see rule 12 – Enrollment and Attendance)
Philosophy
The following is a brief resume of the points of philosophy included in the transfer rule of this
Association.
a. Participation in interschool athletics is a privilege provided for students who meet the
democratically-established standards of qualification as set forth by this Association.
b. The privilege of participation in interschool athletics should fundamentally be available to
Bona Fide students in school districts where their parents or legally-established guardians
reside.
c. Standards governing residence and transfer are a necessary prerequisite to participation
in interschool athletics because:
(1.) they protect the opportunities of Bona Fide students to participate;
(2.) they provide a fundamentally fair and equitable framework in which interschool athletic
competition, in an educational setting, can take place;
(3.) they provide uniform standards for all schools to follow in maintaining athletic
competition;
(4.) they support the educational philosophy that athletics is a privilege which must not
be permitted to assume a dominant position in a student’s or school’s program;
(5.) they keep the focus of educators and students on the fact that students attend school
to receive an education first and participate in athletics second;
(6.) they maintain the fundamental principle that a high school student should live at home
with his/her parents or legally-appointed Guardian (if the parents are deceased) and
attend school in the school District in which the parents or Guardians live;
(7.) they reinforce the view that the family is a strong and viable unit in our society, and
as such, is the best place for students to live while attending high school;
(8.) they serve as a deterrent to students who would transfer schools for athletic reasons
and to individuals who would seek to recruit student athletes to attend a particular
school for the purpose of building athletic strength;
(9.) they serve as a deterrent to students running away from or avoiding an athletic conflict
or discipline that has been imposed;
(10.) they protect school programs from losing students who have established an identity
as an athlete and, as such, are contributors to the overall school program and image.
DEFINITIONS:
Transfer For Primarily Athletic Reasons – A Transfer For Primarily Athletic Reasons includes,
but is not limited to:
a. a transfer to obtain the athletic advantage of a superior, or inferior, athletic team, a superior
athletic facility or a superior coach or coaching staff;
b. a transfer to obtain relief from a conflict with the philosophy or action of an administrator,
teacher or coach relative to athletics;
c. a transfer seeking a team consistent with the student’s athletic abilities;
d. a transfer to obtain a means to nullify punitive action taken by the previous school.
Bona fide change of residence – Determination of what constitutes a ‘Bona Fide’ change
of residence depends upon the facts in each case, however, to be considered, the following
facts must exist:
a. the original residence must be abandoned as a residence; that is, sold, rented or disposed
of, or in the process of being disposed of as a residence and must not be used as a
residence by any member of the student’s immediate family; and
b. the student’s entire immediate family must make the change and take with them the
household goods and furniture appropriate to the circumstances. For eligibility purposes,
a single family unit may not maintain Two (2) or more residences.
c. the change of residence must be genuine, without fraud or deceit, and with permanent
intent.
Limited Eligibility – A student who is declared to have Limited Eligibility shall be eligible to

96