IntroductionEachyearover100,000highschoolstudent-athletesparticipateininterscholasticathleticsinConnecticut.Theresponsibilityforassuringthatallstudent-athleteshaveanopportunitytoparticipateinaCIACsponsoredsportonanequitablebasisrestswiththeConnecticutInterscholasticAthleticConference(CIAC),anorganizationcomprisedofmemberschools.

Thispamphlethighlightsmanyofthekeyrulesandregulationsthatyoumustfollowtomaintainyoureligibility.Ifyouhavequestionsthatarenotansweredinthispamphlet,pleaseconsulttheCodeofEligibilityinthe2020-21CIACHandbook,whichisavailableatwww.casciac.org.Also,alwaysdiscussanyquestionsrelatedtoeligibilitywithyourathleticdirectororprincipal.

TheRulesandRegulationsofCIACareestablishedbymemberschoolprincipalsandCIACstaffischargedwiththeresponsibilityofimplementingtherulesestablishedbythemembership.

Connecticut Student-Athletes:Some Things You Need To Know About Athletic Eligibility!

EligibilitytoparticipateonaCIACschoolteamisaprivilegethatstudentsattainbymeetingtheeligibilityrequirementsestablishedbytheCIACaswellasanyadditionalrequirementssetbytheirschools.

Thispamphletdescribessome,butnotall,oftheeligibilityrules,aswellasotherrelevantruleslistedintheCIACHandbook.ForacompletelistinganddescriptionofallCIACrulesvisittheCIACwebsite:www.casciac.org andgototheCIACwebsiteandthentoHandbook.

AthletesandparentsareresponsibleforknowingandabidingbyallCIACRules.Tosafeguardyoureligibilityreferanyquestionstoyourschool’sathleticdirectororprincipal.BothyourathleticdirectorandprincipalhaveaccesstotheCIACstaffforinterpretationsandrulings.

Eligibility and Academic Requirements - During the SeasonØInordertorepresentyourschool,youmustbeabonafidestudentasamemberofthatschoolandmeetallCIACeligibilityrequirements,includingtheschool’sacademicrequirements.

ØStudent-athletesatalllevelsofplay,e.g.freshman,juniorvarsityandvarsity,mustconformtoallCIACeligibilityrules.

ØEligibilityforfallsportsisdeterminedbythenumberofcreditsreceivedtowardgraduationatthecloseofthepreviousschoolyear,notthefourthmarkingperiodgrades.YoumusthavereceivedcreditinatleastfourCarnegieunitsofworkforwhichyoudidnotpreviouslyreceivecredittobeeligibleforfallsportsparticipation.Thismayincludecreditsearnedduringthesummer.Thereafter,markingperiodgrades,notsemestergrades,areusedtodetermineeligibility.YoumusttakeandearnpassinggradesinatleastfourquarterCarnegieunitsandmeettheacademicrequirementsofyourschooltoachieveeligibility.Foradditionalinformationonacademiceligibility,consultyourathleticdirector,guidancecounselororschoolprincipal.Also,seeAppendixBintheCIACHandbookforadditionalinformationoneligibility.

Eligibility and Academic Requirements - During the Season (continued)

ØScholasticfailuresmaynotbemadeupforeligibilitypurposesinanymanneruntilthenextreportperiodwhengradesaredistributed.Scholasticincompletesmustbemadeupwithinten(10)schooldaysfollowingthedatethatstudenteligibilitywasdeterminedforthatmarkingperiod.Yearendfailuresmaybemadeupthroughsuccessfulcompletionoflocalschoolsystemapprovedsummerschoolcoursesinthecoursesfailed.

ØFirsttimeninthgradestudentswillautomaticallybeeligibleforthefirstmarkingperiod.

ØYouhaveeightconsecutivesemesters,orfourconsecutiveyearsofeligibilityfromthedateofinitialentryintoninthgrade.Youmaynotparticipateinaspecificschoolsportformorethanfourseasonsingrades9-12.

ØStudenteligibilityisdeterminedonthedatethatgradesareofficiallydistributedtoallstudentsoronthefourteenthcalendardayfollowingtheendofamarkingperiod,whichevercomesfirst.

ØYouareresponsibleforknowingyourschool’seligibilitypolicy,whichmaybedifferentthantheminimumpolicyestablishedbytheCIAC.Contactyourathleticdirectororprincipalifyouhavequestionsonyourschool’seligibilitypolicy.

In-Season RulesØYouarenotpermittedtostartasportduringaseasoninwhichyourtwentieth(20)birthdayfalls.Theseasonisfromthefirstallowableplaydateuntiltheposteddateofthestatechampionshipinthatsport.

ØYouarepermittedtoreceiveindividual lessonsduringtheseasonfromsomeoneotherthanyourcoach.

ØStudent-athletesmaynotswitchfromoneschoolteamtoanotherafterthefirstscheduledcontestinthatsport.

ØDuringthehighschoolseason,startingwiththefirstscheduledcontestthroughtheCIACandNewEnglandtournaments,youmaynotpracticeorplaywithanoutsideteaminthesamesport.Ifyouareamemberofagolf,swimming,gymnastics,trackandfieldortennisteam,refertotheCIACHandbookforexceptionstothisrule.Directanyquestionsrelatedtooutsideparticipationtoyourathleticdirectororhighschoolprincipal.

ØNeverparticipateinanyactivityinthesamesportduringyoursportseasonwithoutfirstconsultingwithyourathleticdirectororprincipaltoavoidviolatingCIACrules.

ØParticipationincollegeauditions,andstudentclinicsispermissibleundercertainconditions.ChecktheCIACHandbookformoreinformationandalwaysconsultyourathleticdirectororprincipalforadditionalinformation.

ØParentandstudentsignedconsentformregardingconcussionandsuddencardiacarrestisarequirementbeforetheseasonbegins.

ØYouarenotpermittedtoparticipateinanall-stargameuntiltheendoftheseasonasdefinedbytheCIAC.

Outside the Season GenerallystudentathletesarepermittedtoparticipateinanyactivityorsporttheywishtoduringtheoffseasonwithoutbeinginviolationofCIACRules.Thereareafewlimitationsforparticipationincamps,clinicsorotherorganizedactivitieswhenyourcoachorschoolisinvolvedthatyoushouldbeawareof.

A. Camps – Out of SeasonYoumayattendcampswhichteachtheskillsofyoursport.Thefollowingaresomerestrictionsrelatedtooff-seasoncamps:

ØAttendancemustbeduringnon-schooltime.

ØYoumaynotwearaschooluniformoruseequipmentthatidentifiesyourschool.

ØTheschoolmaynotorganize,superviseoroperatethecamp.

ØAboosterclubmayfinancecampexpensesifitisfinanciallyindependentoftheschoolandtheschooldoesnotcontroland/oradministerthosefunds.

ØYourschoolorcoachesmaynotfinanceyourcampexpenses.

ØIfyourcoachisinvolvedinanywaywiththecamp,he/shemaynothavecontactwithyouformorethanten(10)days.

ØYourcoachmaynotcoachorinstructhis/herteamasanexclusiveteamunit.

ØNomorethantenpercent(10%)ofthoseattendingthecampmaybefromyourschoolifyourcoachisinvolved.

B. Student Clinics – Out of SeasonØYoumayattendastudentclinicinwhichyouwillphysicallyparticipate.

ØTheclinicmustbeduringnon-schooltime.

ØYoumaynotwearaschooluniformoruseequipmentthatidentifiestheschool.

ØTheclinicmaynotbeorganizedorsupervisedbyyourcoachorschool.

ØYoumayattendonedayclinicsunlesspermissionisgrantedbytheCIACtoattendamulti-dayclinic.

ØYouarepermittedtobeinvolvedinasport-specificconditioningprogramanytimethroughouttheyear.Youmaynotreceivecoachingorinstructioninyoursporttechniquesinaconditioningprogram,andequipment(balls,bats,etc.)usedinyoursportmaynotbeutilized.Mandatoryattendanceisnotpermitted.

Athletic Participation at Schools of ChoiceStudentswhoattendastateofConnecticutPublicSchoolofChoicethatdoesnothaveanysportprogramswillbeallowedtoreturntotheschooltowhichtheywouldotherwiseattend(homeschool)providingthe“homeschool”willallowsuchparticipation.Studentswhoattendapublicschoolofchoicethatoffersasportsprogram,regardlessofhowlimited,willonlybeallowedtoparticipateinathleticsattheschooltheyattend.Studentsattendingachoiceschoolmustmeetthesameeligibilityrequirementsasallotherstudentathletes.

Transfer RuleIfyouareplanningtotransferfromanin-stateorout-of-stateschooltoaCIACmemberschoolpleasediscussyourpendingtransferwithyourschoolprincipaland/oryourathleticdirectorpriortothemovesoyouandyourfamilyunderstandthepossibleimplicationsforyourathleticeligibility.

ØStudentswhotransferfromonememberschooltoanotherattheendofgradeninewillbeimmediatelyeligibleattheirnewschoolprovidingtheyareotherwiseeligible.

ØStudentswhotransferingrades10-12withacorrespondingchangeoflegaladdresstoanewschooldistrictandareresidingwiththeirparent(s)orlegalguardianwillbeimmediatelyeligibleprovidingtheyareotherwiseeligible.

ØIfyoutransferfromonememberschooltoanotheringrades10-12withoutacorrespondingchangeoflegaladdressyoumaybesubjecttoa50%sit-outinthesportyouplayedatyourpreviousschoolthatyouwishtoplayatyournewschool.Checkwithyourathleticdirectortoseeifthisrulewillapplytoyourtransfer.

ØIfyoutransferfromonememberschooltoanotherforathleticreasonsyouwillbesubjecttoaoneyearrestrictiononplayinginthesport(s)youplayedthepreviousyear.

ResidencyStudentathletesundertheageofeighteen(18)mustberesidingwiththeirparentorlegalguardian(asdeterminedbytheProbateCourt)tobeeligibletoparticipate.Residencewithandsupportbyanyindividualotherthantheparentorlegalguardianforaperiodofoneyearormoredoesestablishtheresidenceofthestudentforathleticpurposes.

Home Schooled StudentsParticipationonaCIACschool’sinterscholasticteamisextendedonlytostudent-athleteswhoseprogramisunderthedirectsupervisionofaCIACmemberschool.HomeschooledstudentsarenoteligibletoparticipateonCIACschools’interscholasticteams.

Amateur StatusToremainanamateurandeligibleforCIACcompetition,youmaynotparticipateatanytimeunderanassumedname,andanyprizeswonmustbesymbolicinnature.Jackets,sweaters,trophiesandringsorwatchesarepermitted;savingsbondsorcasharenot.RefertotheCIACHandbookforfurtherinformationonamateurism.

Performance Enhancing SupplementsThereareseverepenaltiesfortheuseofanabolicsteroidsandotherperformance-enhancingsupplements.RefertotheCIACHandbookformoreinformationonthistopic.

Concussion Education RequirementsCIACmemberschoolsarerequiredtoeducateallstudent-athletesandparentsonthesignsandsymptomsofconcussionandreturn-to-playrequirements.PriortoparticipationinanyCIACsponsoredsport,athleteandparentmustsignaninformedconsentformthatwillbeprovidedbytheschool.Thesignoffatteststhattheathleteandparent(s)areawareofthesignsandsymptomsofconcussionsandreturn-to-playrequirementsonceaconcussionissuspected.

RecruitmentRecruitmentorattemptedrecruitmentofstudentsforathleticpurposes,regardlessofresidence,isagrossviolationofthespiritandphilosophyofCIACrulesandisexpresslyforbidden.Athletesand/orfamilieswhoallowthemselvestoberecruitedbyamemberschoolwillbedeclaredpermanentlyineligibleattheschooltowhichhe/shehasbeenrecruitedandmaybedeclaredineligibleforinterscholasticcompetitionforuptooneyearatanyotherschool.Usingundueinfluenceviadirectorindirectcommunicationbyanyoneassociatedwithaschoolinanattempttoencourageyourenrollmentinanotherschoolisprohibited.Examplesare:

Ø Arranginganykindofcontactwithyouforthepurposeofencouragingyourenrollmentinanotherschool.Ø Visitingorentertainingyouoramemberofyourfamilywiththeintentofencouragingyourenrollmentin

anotherschool.Ø Providingtransportationtoyouorafamilymemberwiththeintentofencouragingyourenrollmentin

anotherschool.Ø Norepresentativeofanotherschoolispermittedtoencourageyourenrollmentinthatschoolora

differentschool.Ø Anycontactyouwouldhavewithsomeonetryingtoencourageyoutoenrollinadifferentschoolisnot

permitted.Ø Anyquestionsorconcernsthatyouhaverelatedtorecruitmentshouldbeaddressedwithyourathletic

directororprincipal.AdditionalinformationonrecruitmentisavailableintheCIACHandbook.

Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference30 Realty Drive, Cheshire, CT 06410

(Phone) 203.250.1111 (Fax) 203.250.1345www.casciac.org