MHSAA Eligibility

Preamble:

Provincial competition for school athletes is administered by the MHSAA. The athletes participating represent the highest competetive level of competition in their sport. It is to be considered an honour and a privilege to participate in MHSAA events.

The MHSAA reserves the right to govern its competition, and in doing so, to demand prerequisites from the athletes and schools. The MHSAA attempts to provide a reasonable level of fairness of competition within the framework of MHSAA Championships.

The MHSAA conducts Provincial competition for its members. The MHSAA will not be accountable for extraordinary requirements, beyond those identified as MHSAA prerequisites, which are imposed by an association.

An athlete is responsible for making an honest, full, and continuing disclosure to his/her school of all matters which affect his/her eligibility. Schools must submit eligibility forms to be eligible for provincial activities. The school is responsible for placing only MHSAA eligible athletes into competition.

ELIGIBILITY

1. To be ELIGIBLE for Association competition, schools must meet the following eligibility requirements:

a) Participating athletes must be under the age of 19 as of midnight of the current school year, August 31st.

b) Students are eligible to participate for four years. In determining the four year clause, member schools must count grade 9 as the first year. The athlete’s eligibility begins upon enrolment in grade 9 and is allowed four consecutive years of competition from time of enrolment in grade 9.

c) A student can only play for one school. Should there be a question in regards to what school a student is eligible to play for, then the school the student is registered in at September 30 will be the one. Students transferring schools before September 30 and becoming bona fide students of another member school will not make that school ineligible for Association competition. Students transferring after September 30 must apply to the Eligibility Committee for consideration.

d) Participating athletes must be certified by their principal, as bona fide students and as meeting all eligibility requirements.

e) Be a member school in good standing with the Association.

f) Be properly certified school teams under the applicable zone requirements. MHSAA member schools may only compete against other member schools.

g) In determining the size of a school for classification purposes, a school which is made up of only one gender (all males, all females) will have its student enrolment (grade 9-12) doubled to determine the class of competition in which it will compete.

h) All teams must be made up of bona fide students of that school unless provided by exception of this regulation.

i) Teams must meet sanction requirements as stated in the regulations

j) A school, for Association purpose, is defined as grades 9-12.
Grade 9 classes that occur in the same building as grade 10 to 12, are eligible for competition. Grade 9 classes that are held in a seperate building are not eligible.

k) Schools in exceptional circumstances may apply to the Board of Directors for special eligibility consideration for any student/athlete. (see page 8 for appeals)

l) Any school that uses professional athletes, or those being renumerated for their participation (cash tournaments), will be ineligible for Association competition.

m) Any student who has completed his/her school requirements for graduation would not be eligible for further athletic competition. (A student who completes his/her requirements mid year, but is still enrolled and taking courses, is eligible to compete).

n) The MHSAA endeavors to provide equal opportunities for athletes. If a school does not have a girls team, then the girl may try out for the boys team. If a school has both a boys and a girls team, then the students would play for their respective gender (except for hockey where a girl may try out for a boys team, even if there is a girls team in the school).

o) Correspondence and home school students and/or online internet students are not eligible for competition.

p) While grade 8 students are ineligible for Association competition (see 2B), if it is discovered that a grade 8 student has participated, then that would count as a year of eligibility.

2. Exceptions to Eligibility:

a. In team competition, R.B. Russell Vocational School may allow its students to participate for a different school in   the area of their residence.

b. Grade 9 (S1) students are eligible for competition, provided the grade 9 (S1) classes are included under the administration of the high school. Grade 7 and 8 students who are at least 15 years of age, as of August 31 of the current school year, and who are ineligible for junior high competition, will be eligible for competition provided that they are included under the administration of the high school.

c. Students attending Rural regional schools (living 25 or more kilometres from the regional school) are to be given the right to choose the regional school or their home school as the school they wish to play for in interscholastic sports (pending approval from the schools involved).

CO-OP Schools
The Manitoba High Schools Athletic Association has recognized the need, with the declining enrolment, that some schools may need to combine in order to form a team. The purpose of a co-op is to form a team, not to better a program. The MHSAA may consider allowing schools to co-op providing they meet the following minimal requirements:

• Combined population (grade 9 to grade 12) does not exceed 300 students (350 for hockey). ® Co-op is limited to “A” and “AA” schools only.
• A maximum of three schools only may combine to form a co-op entry.
• The team must go under one school name. A new name cannot be created. ® Letter of approval from the zone.
• A request from the administrators of schools involved has been forwarded to the MHSAA office.
• Co-oping can occur for a single sport and single gender in a school.
• The co-op must be planned to occur for a minimum of three years (schools cannot co-op with one school for one year then switch to another school the next).
• The schools must maintain administration of the co-op (ie: it could not be run and controlled by a parents group)
• The co-op must be beneficial for all schools in the area.
        
  

The MHSAA management committee will review all co-op applications. They will consider the history of the zone, the sport, and how the application will affect the other schools in the area. The committee will also consider historical co-ops.

The decision of the management committee is final. The committee has a right to monitor co-ops, and if it feels a co-op is being abused, has the right to revoke the co- op or place a school on suspension or probation.

3. Penalties and Protests:

a) Any athlete, coach, member school, or zone may be declared ineligible, subject to probation or suspension from Association competition for reported violations of sportsmanship, eligibility, sanction, or violation of play off format or dates. Any athlete, coach, member school, or zone which is alleged to be in violation of eligibility or sanction regulations, must be given an opportunity to appear before the Board of Directors.

b) Any decisions as to the appropriate action which may be taken with respect to any reported eligibility, supervision or sanction violation, shall rest with the Board of Directors. If a penalty is invoked, it shall be enforced by the Executive Director for the particular activities involved.

c) The MHSAA may default teams which do not meet deadline dates set down for zone and/or interzone playdowns.

d) Each zone is required to post a $200.00 performance bond. This performance bond is placed in a trust to ensure the zone's participation, proper conduct, and ensure that all Provincial Championship and eligibility requirements are met. Any zone failing to meet any of the expectations as outlined may be liable for forfeiture of part or whole of the bond. The zones must replace the bond before they will be allowed to participate in any other provincial competition.

PROTESTS
Any protests regarding procedure or rulings occuring during the course of interzone, regional, wildcard or provincial games must be submitted in writing and posted within 48 hours to the convenor of that activity, with a copy to the Assistant Executive Director of the Association. Any decision of the follow-up shall rest with the Board of Directors.

4. Failure to meet deadlines

Schools failing to meet deadlines as listed under each sport may be subject to a "performance bond forfeiture" of between $25.00 - $200.00. Schools may not be allowed to compete until the fine is paid. Any school not paying it's fine may not be eligible to participate in any wildcard or other post season activities until the fine with interest is paid.

5. Eligibility Sheets

Every school sports team and club (varsity, junior varsity) must complete an eligibility sheet. This should be emailed to the MHSAA office, one copy to the zone convenor, and one copy should remain with the coach. Eligibility deadline dates are stated in each sport section. The reason that we ask for eligibility sheets is to keep an accurate accounting and record of student athletes. Failure to submit eligibility sheets will result in a $35.00-$100.00.

6. Eligibility Appeals:

There is an avenue to appeal a student who might not meet all eligibility requirements. (All Fall appeals must be sent in to the MHSAA office by SEPTEMBER 16, of the current school year.)

• The appeal must include all of the following:
• letter from the principal endorsing the appeal
• letter from zone president endorsing the appeal
• letter explaining the student's extenuating circumstances and why an appeal should be granted
• When a student is transferring schools, a letter must be forwarded from the Principal of the former school endorsing the appeal (or explaining the student's circumstances at the former school)
• If an appeal is granted, and then the student transfers schools, the appeal becomes void, and a new appeal must be submitted
• copy of the students grade transcript
• copy of the student's attendance transcript for the current school year, or previous year

* All of the above must be included in the appeal. Failure to include the above will result in the application not being considered.

* Over age appeals will not be considered.

* For further information contact the MHSAA Executive Director, Morris Glimcher at 925-5641.

Appeal Meetings:
September 19
December 9
April TBA

There are three appeal meetings per year. Any appeals that are received after the deadline date will be subject to a $20.00 administration fee.

The MHSAA reserves the right to extend a suspension of an athlete to other MHSAA Provincial Sport Championships when abuse of players, officials, and coaches occurs.

7. Penalty Action/Reaction: