It's as much a buzzword in high school sports as “championship,” “practice,” or, to extend one word to three, “public vs. private.”
transfer.
For decades, student-athletes have transferred between schools in pursuit of better personal circumstances, being part of a successful program, or both.
Similarly, questions follow.
Although the Ohio High School Athletic Association has tightened its rules and exceptions regarding transfers in recent years, some confusion remains.
Here are answers to frequently asked questions regarding transfer for high school athletes.
What is a transfer?
A student who moves from one school to another or between home and traditional education is considered a transfer, regardless of whether the physical home address has changed.
A student-athlete is considered a transfer if he or she participates in a game, practice, or scrimmage with a team at a school he or she has never attended or is enrolled in.
What are forwarding rules?
Essentially, transfers are barred from participating in the second half of the regular season and postseason contests for that sport. The rule, approved in 2018, applies to any sport a student-athlete participated in in the year before transferring.
The previous rule was that athletes could sit out the first half of the season and then play, including tournaments.
Athletes who did not play a particular sport in the previous year are not subject to that rule.
Of course, there are exceptions – 13 to be exact. See below for details.
Why are there rules in place?
Christine Ronai, OHSAA Director of Compliance and Legislation, explained:
“People always say it's to prevent recruiting and kids from going to different schools. In general, there is some data to support the theory that students who maintain stable school placements have a better chance of doing better academically. Members acknowledge that there are circumstances in which students are forced to transfer schools.
Ronai said that while there was a “significant reduction” in the number of transfers during and before the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of applications processed by OHSAA has returned to more normal levels of about 1,300 a year.
Why transfer in the first place?
From simply moving from one school district to another to wanting to play for a different or more successful program, or theoretically a bigger school to get more contact and attention from college coaches. Reasons can vary, including wanting to play or moving between one parent and the other. /Parents and Others.
Family circumstances beyond the student-athlete's control can also be a factor.
A bill passed last year states that if a student moves from one legal guardian to another in another school district, he or she cannot return to his or her original school for at least a calendar year.
Let's go back to those exceptions. what are they?
There are 13 exceptions, one of which may apply to transfer students. School administrators and OHSAA officials must take steps to ensure that the exception applies.
These address issues such as physical mobility, custody changes, school closures, student independence, bullying issues, and cancellation of homeschool sports, among others.
Is there a difference in transfer between public and private schools?
All athletes are entitled to one transfer to a public high school in the district where their family has lived for at least one year, but per OHSAA Rule 7-4-2, this does not apply if the student transfers from one parent. not. Others are based on shared parenting plans.
Private school athletes are also eligible for a one-time transfer if they return to their previous private school.
Otherwise, public and private schools are treated the same under OHSAA transfer rules.
My sport is not offered at school. Can I play at another school without transferring?
If you're a public school athlete, at least not yet.
Last May, an OHSAA referendum item that would have allowed public school athletes to play a sport at their neighborhood school if their alma mater doesn't offer it was defeated 427-374. It failed the previous year by just 13 votes, and the OHSAA announced at the time that it was the narrowest margin in “documented” history.
However, private school athletes are eligible to play their sport at their home public school if that sport is not offered at their private school. It's based on state law.
So, for example, a lacrosse player who attends Fisher Catholic Church but lives in the Pickerington area will be able to play that sport in either Central or North, depending on where you live, since lacrosse is not offered in Fisher. You can play.
If a private school begins offering the sport while a student is participating at the public school, the student may continue to play at the public school for the remainder of the season.
If I transfer or move during the season, am I still eligible?
In most cases, this is not the case, but an exception may be made for student-athletes who move more than 80 miles from their previous school.
If a student-athlete qualifies for the exception, he or she will have to miss the remainder of this season but will be eligible the following year, Ronai said. Otherwise, he will have to miss half of the regular season, even if it extends into next year.
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