PART III BOARD REGULATIONS & GENERAL INFORMATION

By-Laws & Board of Directors Regulations Affecting Length of Season, Number of Events, General Regulations, Etc.

Pre-season, in season, and post-season participation rules¶

1. A student may participate in non-school competition from the opening of the school term until the beginning of the high school season in a particular sport and from the close of the high school season in that sport until the end of the school term with no loss of eligibility in that sport or other sports for the school season.

2. Students may compete only on a school team during the high school season of that sport. Violation of the regulation results in loss of eligibility for six contests or remainder of season, whichever is less, for each violation in that sport. The only exception to the above rule is in the case of talented students involved in Olympic competition as explained under Part Two, Section III, Article XIV of the By-Laws.

3. No school sponsored teams for interscholastic competition are permitted in any sports during the summer months, nor may schools enter individual contestants in non-school meets; however, intramural school teams are permissible and students may participate as unattached individuals or as members of non-school teams in all sports. High school coaches may be employed as coaches of non-school teams.

4. A student (Grade 7-12 student) participating in an activity "out of season" may not receive coaching or training from a salaried or non-salaried member of his/her high school's coaching staff (Grade 9-12 coach) in that sport except under the following provisions:

• During June and July, coaches of team sports (basketball, football, hockey, soccer and volleyball) from a NDHSAA member school's coaching staff in that sport may instruct students in a summer contest or camp who have participated in a contest as members of their school team in that sport.

• Coaches of individual sports (cross country, golf, gymnastics, swimming &diving, tennis, track & field, and wrestling) from a NDHSAA member school's coaching staff may coach students in that sport "out of season" provided that it is not under the supervision and operation of the member school. NOTE: Any non-salaried student teachers who were coaching while undergoing their supervised teaching experience are exempt.

  • Baseball and softball are granted an exemption to the out-of-season coaching rule from the beginning of the season until Sept. 1 of that year.

  • Boys' and girls' soccer are granted an exception to the out-of-season coaching rule from the end of the girls' state tournament until August 1 of that year.

• Students may participate in summer sports camps on their own. However, participation in such camps for fall team sports (football, boys' soccer and volleyball) is not permitted after July 31.

• At any time during the off-season, coaches of team sports who are also parents may instruct/coach their own children who have participated in a contest as members of their school team in that sport and/or are in 7-8 programs that feed into 9-12 programs. (July 2016)

SPECIAL NOTE ON SUMMER CAMPS¶

1. Individual or team camps may be sponsored by non-member entities, member schools or coaches of member schools, provided the camp is conducted in June or July and is not exclusive to their own athletes. (June 2016)

2. The use of school equipment, pads, and the like, other than school uniforms, at summer camp is permissible.

3. NDHSAA catastrophic insurance does not cover summer camps.