Student Standards
STUDENT STANDARDS FOR INTERSCHOLASTIC ACTIVITY ELIGIBILITY
1.1 STUDENT ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA ‑ All participants must be eligible under the rules of
the Montana High School Association to participate in an MHSA sponsored activity.
1.11 This regulation does not restrict participation in practice or inter‑squad scrimmage.
1.2 AGE LIMITS ‑ No student is eligible to participate in a MHSA activity who has become
nineteen (19) years old on or before midnight, August 31, of a given year.
1.3 ENROLLMEN/ATTENDANCE ‑ An individual must be a regular member of a school he/she
represents in order to participate in an MHSA sponsored activity. An individual is a “regular
member” of a school he/she is enrolled in full time.
1.4 SCHOLARSHIP ‑ In order to maintain eligibility during the current semester, the student shall
have passed a minimum of five (5) full‑time (1/2 credit) subjects from the preceding semester.
Additionally, eligibility will be determined on a weekly basis from
probationary list for one week. If a student remains on the probationary list in the same class
for two (2) consecutive weeks the student becomes ineligible for the entire Tuesday to
Tuesday eligibility period and until the grade has been raised to a passing level as determined
through the school adopted grading scale.
1.41 A student who has been in regular attendance at least twenty (20) days of the previous semester, but who failed to pass five (5) full-time classes in the succeeding semester, shall have the right to petition for probationary status. If the student selects probationary status, he/she will be placed on probation during the first five (5) weeks of the succeeding semester and shall be ineligible during this time. The probationary status begins with the first day of school for first semester and the first day of the second semester for second semester eligibility. If at the end of the probation period, the student is passing in all subjects, he/she may then be reinstated for MHSA sponsored participation as long as the student has satisfied all MHSA academic requirements. Students intending to pursue this option must receive prior approval from the principal
1.42 MHSA sponsored activities include all of the activities listed in the MHSA rules and regulations guide such as Athletics, Speech and Drama, Cheer, Dance, Music groups such as All State Music, All‑Northwest Music, Honor Choir/Band, District Music Solo & Ensembles, All‑State Music Solo and Ensembles, Dorian, Meister Singers, FFA, FCCLA, BPOA, and any other activity requiring eligibility status for participation. Additionally, this handbook governs all activities sponsored by
1.5 RESIDENCE ‑ If a family moves to a new location, a student should attend the school within
the attendance area. If however, the new home is geographically more convenient to an out
of district school, attendance may be allowed, with MHSA approval, without reference to
school district or county boundaries. Under these conditions a student would become eligible
as soon as his/her principal properly certifies in writing to the MHSA office that he/she is
eligible. Should he/she later decide to return to his/her home school after an attendance of 20
days or more in the school away from home, he/she would be considered the same as any
other transfer student and would lose one semester of eligibility.
1.51 TRANSFER RULE ‑ Any student who transfers from one high school to another is
ineligible to participate in a varsity MHSA contest for 90 P.I. days from the date of enrollment
in the school to which he/she transfers. This rule applies to a student who transfers after
twenty (20) days of attendance or after he/she participates in an athlete contest while
enrolled in grades 9‑12.
1.51.1 A student who moves into a new district or school attendance area upon a corresponding
change of residence by the parent(s) or legal guardian(s) with whom the student was living
during his/her previous school enrollment.
1.51.2 A student who is a ward of the court or state and is placed in a district or school
attendance area by court order.
1.51.3 A student transferring from one high school to another under any bona fide foreign
exchange program will be eligible for two (2) consecutive semesters only, after the principal
properly certifies that they meet all eligibility requirements.
1.51.4 ‑ A student who marries and establishes a new residence in a new district or school
attendance area.
1.51.5 A student who transfers to another school because his/her school ceases to operate.
1.51.6 A student in attendance at a school designated by the governing body of that school as a
result of reorganization, consolidation or annexation or a student ordered transferred within
a school system, for other than interscholastic competition purposed by a board of
education or the governing body of a private parochial school system.
1.51.7 A student who completes the last grade available in the school system previously
attended.
1.51.8 A student who moves from parent to parent or legal guardian to legal guardian the first
time in his/her school career will be eligible upon verification to the MHSA office that this is
the first move and certified by the administrators involved that the move was neither
athletically motivated nor was the move because of recruitment.
1.6 PREVIOUS SEMESTER ‑ The student shall have been in regular attendance in middle
school or high school during the semester immediately preceding the semester in which the contest is held.
1.7 REGULAR ATTENDANCE ‑ No student shall be eligible to participate in a MHSA contest
during the first semester if he/she has enrolled later than October 15, or during the spring
semester if he/she has enrolled later than the eleventh (11) day of that semester. This rule
shall not apply to a student who has transferred from another high school if his/her enrollment
in that previous school meets with above requirements.
1.8 PHYSICAL EXAMINATION ‑ A physical examination is required for each student in order to
be considered eligible for participation in any MHSA contest. Physical examinations must be completed prior to the first practice. This examination must be certified by a physician, a physical assistant (PA), or a nurse practitioner (NP). This certification is valid for a period of one school year.
1.81 The school must have on file a statement (or prepared form) from a medical authority licensed to give a physical examination, certifying the student athletes physical condition is adequate for the activity or activities in which he/she participates.
1.82 To resume participation following an illness and/or an injury serious enough to require medical care, a participating student must present to the school officials a physician's written release.
1.9 SEASON LIMITATIONS ‑ A student will be eligible to participate in MHSA contests for four (4) consecutive years [eight (8) consecutive semesters] after entering the ninth grade or after qualifying for participation under Article 11, Section (6).
1.91 Students who do not attend school or fail to exercise their right to participation forfeit their eligibility during that period and shall not be provided any additional period of eligibility except as may be provided by the appeal process in Article VII.
1.92 Repeating any grade, nine through twelve, whether a student participates or not will count toward a student's four (4) consecutive years of high school interscholastic eligibility.
2.0 GRADUATING SENIORS ‑ Graduating seniors, still regularly enrolled, are eligible until the official close of the school year and may complete their spring sports program.
2.1 NON‑SCHOOL PARTICIPATION ‑ During any sport season after joining a school squad,
students may participate in non‑school athletic activities, provided they do not miss a team practice or scheduled contest. Exception may be allowed if such activity does not adversely affect the performance of the athlete in practice and/or competition, in the judgment of the coach and/or school principal.
2.11 A student shall not be given special treatment or privileges on a regular basis to enable him/her to participate in non‑school athletic activities, such as reduced practice times, special workouts, late arrivals or early dismissals.
2.12 Students shall not be permitted to participate on any college, junior college or university
athletic team.
2.13 Students shall not compete in the uniform of their school at non‑school unsanctioned
events. Students shall use school issued uniforms for all contests.
2.2 AMATEUR RULE ‑ All contestants in the MHSA events must be amateurs. An amateur student athlete is one who engages in athletics for the physical, mental, social, and educational benefits he/she derives therefrom, and to whom athletics is nothing more than an avocation and not a source of financial reward. In order to maintain his/her amateur standing, he/she may not:
2.21 Accept awards of more than $20 in value.
2.22 Accept cash awards.
2.23 Enter competition under a false name.
2.24 Accept payment of expense allowances over the actual and necessary expenses for the athletic trip.
2.25 Sign or have signed a contract to play professional athletics (whether for a money consideration or not); play or have ever played on any professional team in any sport; receive or ever received, directly or indirectly, a salary or any other form of financial assistance (including scholarships or educational grants in‑aid) from a professional sports organization or any of his/her expenses for reporting to or visiting a professional team.
2.26 Bet on a contest in which he/she is to participate.
2.27 Sell a prize won in competition.
2.3 STUDENT AS AN INSTRUCTOR, SUPERVISOR OR OFFICIAL ‑ Instructing, supervising or officiating in any organized youth sports program, recreation, playground, or camp activities will not jeopardize amateur standing.
2.4 WARNING ON PROFESSIONALISM ‑ No student shall be eligible to participate in a MHSA contest who has been out of school one or more semesters, if during said non enrollment he/she has been a member of a professional team. If during such non enrollment he/she takes part in semi‑professional athletics, he/she shall not become eligible again until he/she has been in attendance two full semesters.
2.41 The student athlete may play summer baseball as an amateur on any team not under the
jurisdiction of professional baseball.
2.5 STUDENT APPEALS ‑ DUE PROCESS ‑ "Due‑Process" is a procedure which the courts of law recognize as a necessary part of any code of rules and regulations. “Due‑Process” furthermore, and of primary importance, recognizes the rights of the individual since it outlines his/her recourse in the event that he/she feels a wrong decision has been made. The procedure for appeals, protests and due process outlined hereafter is to be followed in cases invoving decisions under the rules and regulations of the MHSA including those relating to eligibility. It should be understood that participants and their parents will be expected to follow the “due‑process” steps in the event that legal action should be initiated at some later date.
2.6 HARDSHIP CASES ‑ The MHSA eligibility committee and the Executive Board are given
the opportunity to make specific exception to the student eligibility regulations provided such exceptions are based upon hardship conditions which are deemed to have contributed in a significant way to non‑compliance with specific regulation(s) which may be appealed.
2.61 Any waiver of student eligibility regulations shall be based upon extenuating circumstances,
beyond the control of the student, which are deemed to have significantly influenced or
contributed to the cause of the student's noncompliance to the eligibility regulation(s) involved.
The following criteria shall be used to determine if a hardship exists:
2.61.1 A hardship exists only when some unique circumstances concerning the student's
educational, physical or emotional status exist and only when such circumstances are beyond the student's or, where applicable, his/her parent(s) or legal guardian(s) control.
2.61.2 The circumstances must be totally different from those which exist for the majority or even a small minority of students (e.g., usual maturation problems, family situations which do not cause severe and abnormal emotional problems, academic or athletic deficiencies in a school's curriculum or extracurricular activities do not constitute a hardship.)
2.61.3 There must be no reason to believe that the decision and/or the execution of the decision concerning the student's academic status is for athletic purposes.
2.61.4 The burden of providing evidence that a hardship exists shall be on the student.
2.62 Exception to student eligibility regulations shall not be granted if, in the judgment of the Eligibility Committee, or Executive Board there is sufficient evidence to make it reasonable to believe that the noncompliance to the eligibility rule in question was motivated by the student's or school's efforts to gain a desired athletic outcome or to intentionally circumvent a rule.
2.63 The burden of providing evidence of hardship shall be on the student.
2.64 Loss of eligibility in itself is not to be considered a hardship.
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- Last Updated: 08-01-2011