Bylaw 4-2-2 (7th/8th Grade Age Limitation)
Bylaw 4-2-2
If a student enrolled in grade 7 or 8 attains the age of 15 before August 1, the student shall be ineligible to participate in 7th & 8th grade interscholastic athletics for the school year commencing in that calendar year.
EXCEPTION 1: If the student is a “child with a disability” as that term is defined within the Ohio Operating Standards for the Education of Children with Disabilities and Part B of the Federal IDEIA requirements and the student’s specific disability was diagnosed contemporaneous with the events which caused the student to be unable to meet the requirements of this bylaw; and whose disability is the primary reason for student’s inability to meet the requirements of this bylaw, that student may be declared eligible by the Executive Director’s office if, in the sole discretion of the Executive Director’s office, the Executive Director’s office determines that:
a) the student does not pose a safety risk to himself/herself or others; and
b) the student does not enjoy any advantages in terms of physical maturity, mental maturity or athletic maturity over other student-athletes; and
c) the student would not likely participate in any meaningful way in any contest or otherwise have any impact on the outcome of any contest in which the student does participate; and
d) there is no evidence of “red-shirting” or other indicia of academic dishonesty.
To request a ruling for this exception, visit this link:
http://www.ohsaa.org/Portals/0/Eligibility/forms/Disability.pdf
EXCEPTION 2: If a student has repeated any grade from kindergarten through grade 3 at the recommendation of the student’s teachers or other educational professionals and for purely academic reasons and, as a result of repeating any of these grades, the student cannot meet the age limitations of this bylaw in the student’s eighth grade year with the 7th & 8th grade school, the Executive Director’s office may declare the student eligible notwithstanding this bylaw 4-2-2 if, in the sole discretion of the Executive Director’s office, the following criteria can be met:
a) the student does not pose a safety risk to himself/herself or others; and
b) the student does not enjoy any advantages in terms of physical maturity, mental maturity or athletic maturity over other student-athletes of her/his grade level; and
c) the student would not likely participate in any meaningful way in any contest or otherwise have any impact on the outcome of any contest in which the student does participate; and
d) there is no evidence of “red-shirting” or other indicia of academic dishonesty.
To request a ruling for this exception, visit this link:
http://www.ohsaa.org/Portals/0/Eligibility/forms/Disability.pdf
Bylaw 4-2-3
An 8th grade student may, at the student’s option, become eligible for interscholastic athletics at the high school level when the student attains his/her 15th birthday before August 1 of the ensuing school year. The student who chooses to commence high school eligibility while still enrolled in grade eight is eligible at the school where the student is expected to enroll at the ninth grade level. A student opting to commence her/his eligibility at the high school level shall have no more than eight semesters of high school eligibility taken in order of attendance in accordance with Bylaw 4-3-3.
NOTE: This means that a student’s senior year of eligibility will be affected if the student chooses to commence high school eligibility while still enrolled in grade eight. Furthermore, if the student does not opt to become eligible at the high school level, she/he shall be ineligible on account of her/his age at the 7th-8th grade level of interscholastic competition.
