Page 61 - 2025-26 By-Laws

Rule 9 - Contests

Sunday Participation
Q. 9-11 Can Schools hold or sanction Contests, Practices or Camps/Clinics on Sunday?
A. No, all Member Schools and all Member School students are prohibited from
participation in Contests, Practices, Clinics/Clinics or team get-together on Sunday.
(rule 9-13)
Q. 9-12 Can a member of a Member School Coaching Staff in a sport give lessons on
Sunday during the authorized Practice Season or during the Contest Season, to a
student who is on a School team in that sport?
A. No, a member of a Member School Coaching Staff in a sport may not give lessons
to any member of the School team on Sunday. For example, a tennis coach on
the School’s coaching staff, who also provides individual or group tennis lessons
at the local tennis facility, may not give lessons on Sunday to any member of the
tennis team during the authorized Practice Season or during the authorized Contest
Season. (rule 9-13)
Q. 9-13 May a member of a Member School Coaching Staff have contact with a team
member on Sunday, during the authorized Practice Season or Contest Season?
A. Yes, students and coaches may have contact on Sunday, BUT the contact may in
no way relate to coaching activities or related to athletic participation. (rule 9-13)
Q. 9-14 May a member of a School team in an Individual Sport, during the authorized Practice
Season or Contest Season, participate in a School Practice on Sunday?
A. No, it is a violation of the Sunday Rule, rule 9-13, for a student athlete to participate
in a School Practice during the authorized Practice Season or Contest Season on
Sunday, and therefore attendance at a Practice by a member of a Member School
Coaching Staff is prohibited. For example, if several swimmers on a School team,
who also belonged to a Non-School club, decided to swim on Sunday at a club
practice to prepare for the upcoming Tournament Series swim meet, this practice
would not violate the Sunday Rule, provided no member of the Member School
Coaching Staff called or even encouraged this practice, and of course, no member
of the Member School Coaching Staff may be present during this practice. (rule
9-13)
Season Contests
Q. 9-15 Whose approval is needed to play a Contest?
A. The principal, or his/her designee, of a School must approve all Contests. No
Contest shall be played by a member School without a signed IHSAA Contract for
Athletic Contests. (rule 9-1)
Q. 9-16 Does the IHSAA stipulate any price for tickets other than for IHSAA Tournament
Series?
A. No, other than a recommendation that reasonable ticket prices be charged.
Q. 9-17 Does the omission of an admission charge make any difference as to the designation
of a Contest as a game?
A. No, games are Contests with or without admission charges.
Q. 9-18 A local service club in a community is interested in sponsoring an invitational
basketball tournament involving other member Schools. May they sponsor this
event?
A. No, a member School may enlist the help of local service organizations to assist with
an event, but unless the IHSAA has granted an exception, all athletic Contests and
tournaments in which member Schools participate must be under the sponsorship
and the jurisdiction of a member School or the IHSAA. (rules 9-1, 9-2, 9-3)
Q. 9-19 Can a member School team play in a Contest sponsored by some non-school
group?
A. No, all athletic Contests must be held under the direct supervision of a member
School, held under the direct supervision of a non-member School or held under
the direct supervision of the IHSAA. (rule 9-3, 9-15)
Intra-School Practice
Q. 9-20 Can a member a School’s freshmen or reserve team Practice with an athletic team
of a junior high school whose students automatically matriculate to the School?

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