Page 111 - 2025-26 By-Laws

Rule 19 - Eligibility and Transfer

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.
RULES:
19-1 Initial Promotion Eligibility
When a student is promoted from grade 8, such student may enter grade 9, and have full
eligibility, in a school of such student’s choice provided:
a. such student Enrolls on or before the 15th initial school day at such School; and
b. rule C–20 - Undue Influence has not been violated.
In the event a student attends a junior high or middle school which includes grade 9, full
eligibility shall be at the parent high school in grade 10.
19-2 Continued Eligibility
Once a student obtains full athletic eligibility in a School, such student retains full athletic
eligibility in that School even though such student’s parent(s)/Guardian(s) or the student
moves to another District or Territory, however, such full athletic eligibility is forfeited in such
School in the event:
a. the student Enrolls at and attends another School for Fifteen (15) or more school days; or
b. such student participates in an interschool Contest as a representative of another School;
or
c. the student obtained full eligibility under the foreign exchange student exception, 19-6.1(m),
and the student continued in attendance at the member School after the initial year of
eligibility.
19-3 Transfer Eligibility and Restrictions
19-3.1 General Transfer Eligibility
A student who transfers to a Member School shall be ineligible to participate in interschool
athletics for Three-hundred Sixty-five (365) days after Enrollment, unless an IHSAA Athletic
Transfer Report is ruled on by the Commissioner, or the Commissioner’s designee.
19-3.2 First Time Transfer Between Member Schools
a. Students who transfer between Member Schools for the first time during the first Six (6)
semesters after their initial high school enrollment will have full eligibility, provided:
(1.) The transfer occurs on or before the Start of Practice Date of the sports season in
which the transfer occurs; and
(2.) The transfer is not the result of undue infl uence (rules 20-1 and 20-2, past link).
b. Students who transfer during the first Six (6) semesters, having had the opportunity to
participate in Three (3) seasons of eligibility of a sport, will be subject to a Thirty (30) day
non-competition period or half (1/2) the Maximum Number of Contests, whichever is less,
in each sport in which they participated during or after their third year of eligibility, during
the Three-hundred Sixty-five (365) days preceding the transfer.

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