Eligibility & Compliance
FHSAA submits pilot program information to Governor's office
In 2007 the Florida Legislature enacted Senate Bill 526, which became section 1006.15(8), F.S. In part that statute provided that the “Florida High School Athletic Association, in cooperation with the district school boards of Bradford County, Duval County, and Nassau County, shall facilitate a 2-year pilot program during the 2008-2009 and 2009-2010 academic years in which a middle school or high school student who attend a private school shall be eligible to participate in an inter-scholastic or intrascholastic sport at a public high school, a public middle school, or a 6-12 public school that is zoned for the physical address at which the student resides . . .”
This allowed for students in private schools with no athletic programs whatsoever in the three aforementioned counties to participate in athletics at their home-zoned public schools. Below is the letter to Governor Charlie Crist and the number of participants.
- Governor's letter: Click Here (DOC)
- Participant numbers: Click Here (XLS)
Guidelines for participation by student-athletes in all-star games
The following guidelines govern participation of students of FHSAA member schools in all-star contests for an interscholastic sport.
26.1 A high school all-star team is a team comprised of athletes who are selected as team members or invited to participate in a tryout for membership on the team as the result of the athletes’ performance as high school athletes. No student at a member school shall participate on a high school all-star team in a sport as a result of his/her performance as a high school athlete until the student completes his/her interscholastic athletic eligibility in that sport.
26.2 Students from FHSAA member schools may participate as individuals in all-star games without jeopardizing their interscholastic athletic eligibility, provided:
26.2.1 The all-star game, or tryouts or practices for the all-star game, may not be conducted prior to the completion of the regular season in the sport in which the all-star game is to be conducted. An all-star game, however, shall not be played on any date on which an FHSAA Series contest in that sport is scheduled.
26.2.2 The student-athlete has exhausted his/her eligibility in the sport in which the all-star contest is to be conducted.
26.2.3 Fees for the student-athlete who participates in the all-star contest are not paid by the school, coach or school district; however, internal account funds generated from fund-raising activities may be used.
26.3 A student-athlete who participates in an all-star contest in a sport in which he/she has not exhausted his/her eligibility will be ineligible to represent any FHSAA member school in that sport for a period of one calendar year from the date of participation in the contest.
Policy on athletic recruiting in effect; required affidavit of compliance form now available
The FHSAA Board of Directors at its June 1, 2007 meeting adopted a comprehensive revision to the Association's Policy on Athletic Recruiting. Aside from the change in the policy's name, the revision redefines athletic recruiting as "any effort by a school employee, athletic department staff member, or representative of a school's athletic interests to pressure, urge or entice a student to attend that school for the purpose of participating in interscholastic athletics." The revised policy defines who a "representative of a school's athletic interests" is, and replaces terms such as "undue influence" and "special inducement" are replaced respectively with "improper contact" and "impermissible benefit." The revised policy also establishes that contact with a student in normal community settings (i.e., casual or contact) in which their is no motive to athletically recruit the student is acceptable. The revised also requires that every student who changes or transfers schools at any time after beginning the ninth grade and the student's parents/legal guardians, as well as the principal and athletic director of the student's new school, must sign before a notary public an affidavit attesting that the student was not athletically recruited to attend that school. The affidavit must be signed for each and every change in school that occurs regardless of when the change in school occurs (including the summer period) or the reason for the change (including a physical relocation to a new address). The school cannot permit the student to participate in interscholastic athletic competition until the affidavit has been signed, notarized and submitted to the FHSAA Office. For more information, contact Associate Executive Director dthornton [at] fhsaa [dot] org (Denarvise Thornton) in the FHSAA Office by e-mail or by phone at (352) 372-9551 ext. 340.
Bylaws governing participation in summer athletic activities sponsored by or affiliated with a school
The FHSAA Representative Assembly adopted a bylaw that specifically address participation by students in summer athletic activities sponsored by or affiliated with a school. This bylaw establishes the conditions that must be met for the student to participate in such activities and how such participation will impact the student's athletic eligibility in the next school year. If you have additional questions, contact Associate Executive Director dthornton [at] fhsaa [dot] org (Denarvise Thornton) in the FHSAA Office by e-mail or by phone at (352) 372-9551 ext. 340.
- Bylaw 9.2.2.5 : PDF
