Page 125 - 2023-24 By-Laws

Rule 20 - Undue Influence
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
School’s Summer Open Facilities Program, the transfer student must Enroll
at the School and must complete and submit to the IHSAA the first section of
an IHSAA Transfer Report. (rule 15-3.1)
Q. 20-15 After a student moves from his/her mother’s to his/her father’s residence in
another town, the father makes initial contact at a Private School with the
baseball coach (meets and discusses student’s prospective assimilation into
the school’s baseball program). The father also makes initial contact with the
baseball coach (meets and discusses the baseball program) at the Public
School which Serves the father’s residence. Afterwards the father is referred
to the Private School’s admissions office, and later the student is enrolled
there. Is this a violation of rule 20, the undue influence rule?
A. Yes. Initial contact with any prospective school by a student or by a student’s
parent should never be with the athletic department. If a parent is unfamiliar
with the IHSAA rules and makes initial contact with the School’s athletic
department, the parent should immediately be referred to the Principal, or
to someone in admissions, etc. Having any initial contact with a coach is
problematic, however, when the initial contact is accompanied by a meetings
and/or with discussions with the coach, especially about the School’s athletic
program, there is a likely violation of rule 20. (rules 20-5, 20-7.)

112