Page 30 - 2025-26 By-Laws

Definitions
participate in interschool athletics as a member of a Varsity athletic team. A student with
Limited Eligibility is eligible to participate immediately in all interschool athletics, however,
during the period beginning on the day of the student’s Enrollment at the Receiving School,
and continuing until the day which is Three Hundred Sixty-four (364) days after the day on
which (i) the student last participated in interscholastic athletic at the previous School(s),
or (ii) the student last participated in athletics as a member of a club or similar team, when
the previous School(s) did not off er the sport in which the student wishes to participate,
such student may not participate in interschool athletics as a member of a Varsity athletic
team. Limited eligibility only applies to those sports in which the student participated in the
preceding Three-hundred Sixty-fi ve (365) days prior to the transfer.
Member School: Any School that is a member of the Indiana High School Athletic Associa-
tion (IHSAA).

Member School Coaching Staff: Coaches of grades 9-12 in all IHSAA Recognized Sports,
including non-teaching and volunteer coaches, athletic directors and school administration.
Membership: Status of being a member; body of members.
Maximum Number of Contests - The Maximum Number of Contests for each sport is outlined
in the IHSAA Member School By-laws, rule 50.
National Federation: The National Federation of State High School Associations, Inc.
New District or New Territory.
a. If a Public School student changes residences, in order for that change of residence to
constitute a change to a new District or Territory, the residence change must involve a
move to a geographic area which is not served by the Public School serving the student’s
former residence.
b. If a Private School student changes residence, and the student’s former residence is in
the Territory served by the student’s Private School, in order for that change of residence
to constitute a change to a new District or Territory, the residence change must involve a
move to a geographic area which is not served by the student’s Private School; however,
if a student’s former residence is in a Territory which is not served by the student’s former
Private School, in order for that residence change to constitute a move to a new District
or Territory, the residence change must involve a move to a geographic area which is not
served by the Public School serving the student’s former residence.
c. If a Charter School student changes residence, in order for that residence change to con-
stitute a move to a ‘new’ District or Territory, the residence change must involve a move to
a geographic area which is not served by the Public School serving the student’s former
residence.
Non-Competition Period – The non-competition period will begin on each sport’s Contest Start
Date; however, for students who transfer after the Contest Start Date, the non-competition
period will begin on the Enrollment date. When calculating the non-competition period using
the Maximum Number of Contests, round down to the nearest whole number if the number
of contests is not divided evenly.
Non-School: Any activity which is not sponsored, supervised or controlled by a student’s
School.
Non-School Team: A team in a sport which is not sponsored, supervised or controlled by a
Member School. A team engaged in a spontaneous unorganized recreational contest is
not included in the definition.

Official: An individual who umpires, referees, and otherwise preside over a Contest to help

maintain standards of play, detect infractions and decide penalties according to the rules
of the sport. A licensed Offi cial is an applicant who has successfully passed a written test

of the IHSAA and received an Offi cial’s license from the IHSAA.

Open Facility: See, Summer Open Facility.
Panel: The Case Review Panel established by rule 17-10.
Pitch: The act of throwing a baseball toward home plate to start a play in a baseball Contest.
Practice: An organized, non-classroom sport activity where instruction of a School’s students is
held under the supervision of a School’s coach in that sport. The following is a non-exclusive
list of indicia that an assembly is a Practice: participants are coached by School person-
nel; participants are organized and/or assigned to a team, league or tourney; participants,
locations, times and dates are predetermined; participation is scheduled or established;
attendance and participation is overtly or covertly mandated by a School coach; School
equipment is worn. The following is a non-exclusive list of indicia that an assembly is not a
Practice: lack of organization, spontaneity, informality and non-adult instruction.
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