FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 3, 2005


Board endorses changes to residence and transfer bylaws

GAINESVILLE – The Florida High School Athletic Association Board of Directors today endorsed a series of conceptual changes to residence and transfer bylaws, which would impose stricter regulations on student transfers. The proposed bylaw amendments will be submitted for consideration at the 2006 FHSAA Representative Assembly meeting.

"These changes will be a tremendous improvement to the current perception, which is that students may transfer schools for athletic rather than academic reasons," said Commissioner John A. Stewart. "This proposal will attempt to replace that perception with the reality that students should only transfer schools for reasons that are in their best academic interests. As always, should these rules create an undue hardship for a particular student-athlete, the school will have the opportunity to submit the case for appeal."

The Board also approved an increase in ticket prices for FHSAA Finals events in football (from $8 to $10), basketball (from $7 to $9), baseball (from $7 to $8) and track & field (from $7 to $8), and for the state series events in football (district tiebreakers, from $5 to $6; regional tournament and state semifinal games regular price, $6 to $7, and reserved seating, $7 to $8) and track & field (district meets, from $4 to $5; regional meets, $5 to $6). The price of state series passes also was raised from $35 to $40.

In other action, the Board of Directors:

• approved an amendment to Policy 10, "Official Entry Guidelines and Procedures," to delete section (e), which refers to changes immediately prior to the scheduled starting time of the first competition in a district tournament that involves the school in question. These changes should eliminate most instances of student-athletes being denied the chance to participate in state series events due to clerical errors.

• approved an amendment to clarify off-season participation guidelines with regard to beginning and ending sport season dates, coaching personnel, and other issues.

• discussed proposed FHSAA Bylaw amendments submitted for consideration to the 2005 Representative Assembly meeting.

• changed the Board's March 26-27, 2006 meeting to April 2-3, 2006.

The Florida High School Athletic Association is the governing body for interscholastic athletic competition in Florida. It has a membership of more than 700 middle, junior and senior high schools.

The FHSAA Board of Directors is the executive authority of the Association, establishing guidelines, regulations, policies and procedures within the framework of the Association’s bylaws. The Board of Directors also has the sole authority over all terms and conditions of participation and competition in the FHSAA state championship series. The Board of Directors meets five times annually. Its next meeting is June 16-17, 2005 at the Wyndham Westshore Hotel in Tampa.

Contact:
Jack Watford
Director of Communications, FHSAA
(352) 372-9551 ext. 170
jwatford@fhsaa.org