New Rule Could Shape the Dynamics of High School Sports in the Palmetto State
By: Garrett Mitchell, Staff Writer | garrett@thewoodrufftimes.com
The South Carolina High School League recently approved and is preparing to enact a new policy allowing middle and high school athletes to transfer once, with no strings attached, to the school of their choice.
It was a contentious decision that could have far-reaching effects on interscholastic athletics in the Palmetto State.
In essence, athletes will be allowed to transfer once without having to make a bona fide move and change addresses, though if they choose to transfer again after that, eligibility penalties will apply. This is meant to discourage multiple transfers, which have become endemic in high school sports in recent years.
The new policy, which goes into effect in July, is aimed at middle schoolers through rising juniors. Under the new rules, rising seniors would ultimately also face eligibility sanctions for a transfer, but current rising seniors will be grandfathered in and afforded protection under the one-time transfer rule.
However, there are caveats to the new policy.
Any students transferring for athletic purposes must be enrolled in their new school before the start of practice for the upcoming sports season for which the move was made. Any student transferring after that cutoff will be ineligible for 30 days of half the total number of games in that sport. For example, that would mean five games for football and 13 games for other sports, such as basketball or baseball, where the maximum allowable games played in the regular season is 26.
Any athlete who transfers more than once will also face the 30-day ineligibility stipulation and may be declared ineligible for postseason play.
It is new waters to navigate for school districts and athletic programs statewide. Woodruff athletic director Mike Morris says it may take a full year to fully understand the ramifications of the new transfer rules.
“We are not real sure about the impact that the new transfer rule will have on athletics,” says Morris. “I think that we will know a lot more after year one. We will be able to see how many kids and their families are willing to transfer to another school. It will also be interesting to see how school districts in the upstate differ in the guidelines that they will use to accept transfers.”
Author: gmitchell85
