The GASD Board of School Directors has adopted eligibility standards found in GASD Board Policy 123 and by the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA). Standards include regular school attendance, medical certification and academic standards.
A student who participates in interscholastic athletics at a school which is a member of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association, Inc. ("PIAA") must comply with PIAA eligibility rules. If you fail to comply with these rules, you will lose your eligibility to participate in interscholastic athletics. If you participate while ineligible, you, your school, and/or your Team will be penalized. It is, therefore, important for you to be aware of applicable eligibility provisions.
Age
To be eligible to participate in grades 10 through 12, you must not have reached your 19th birthday by June 30 immediately preceding the school year. Where you will participate only in grades 7 and 8, you may not have reached your 15th birthday by June 30 immediately preceding the school year; where you will participate only in grades 7 through 9, you may not have reached your 16th birthday by June 30 immediately preceding the school year.
Your athletic eligibility extends only until you have reached the end of your fourth consecutive year (8th consecutive semester or the equivalent) beyond the eighth grade. Therefore, if you repeat a grade after eighth, you will be ineligible as a senior.
Additionally, you may participate in (1) a maximum of six seasons in each sport during grades seven through twelve, (2) a maximum of four seasons in each sport during grades nine through twelve, and (3) a maximum of three seasons in each sport during grades seven through nine.
Amateur status
To be eligible to participate in a sport, you must be an amateur in that sport. Amateur status, and eligibility, is lost if you, or your parent(s) or guardian(s), receive money or property for or related to your athletic ability, participation, performance, services, or training in a sport.
You may receive be recognized and receive awards for your participation only from your school or school-affiliated booster club, the sponsor of an athletic event, a non-profit service organization approved by your school Principal, or the news media. Permissible awards include items of apparel, a blanket, watch, ring, scroll, carry-on or warm-up bag, photograph, medal, plaque, or similar award, which must bear appropriate institutional insignia or comparable identification. The fair market value of all of the items provided to you may not exceed $200. If they do, you must return the items in excess of $200.
All-Star contests
You will lose your eligibility in a sport for one year if you participate in an all-star contest in that sport. Your eligibility will not be affected if you participate in an event that (1) is not advertised or promoted as an all-star contest; (2) is open to all participants on the basis of a tryout or a uniform standard of qualification; and (3) you do not represent your school and do not wear any school-affiliated uniform or apparel in the event.
Attendance
Full-time status
The athlete must be regularly enrolled in and in full-time attendance at a PIAA member school, or be home-schooled. Generally, an athlete is eligible only at the school at which he/she is enrolled or, if a homeschooled student, at a public school in the district in which they reside. Generally, you are eligible only at the school at which you are enrolled or, if a homeschooled student, at a public school in the public school district in which you reside. A private school student who lives in Gettysburg Area School District is not eligible to participate in Gettysburg Area School District Athletics if the parents have chosen to send their child to a private school.
Cyber/Charter participation
The Board shall approve participation in the district’s extracurricular activities and interscholastic athletic programs by a student enrolled in a charter or cyber charter school if all of the following conditions are met:
- The student is a resident of the school district.
- The charter or cyber charter school does not provide the same extracurricular activity or interscholastic athletic program.
- The student fulfills all eligibility criteria required for participation in an activity by district students.
The Board will require the charter or cyber charter school to pay the cost of the expenses for its students participation in the district’s extracurricular activities or interscholastic athletic programs. Fees will be established by the Board on an annual basis.
Absences from school
If you are absent from school during a semester for a total of 20 or more school days, you will lose your eligibility until you attend school for a total of 45 school days following your 20th day of absence. The student’s attendance from the previous semester is checked for absences. If the student has accumulated more than 20 days absent, excused and unexcused , the student will be ineligible for 45 school days.
A student-athlete may not participate in any day in which the student has an unexcused full-day absence from school or truancy from any class.
Tardies from school
Student-athletes must report to school by 8:30 AM in order to participate in practice or games, or travel that day. Any student-athlete who arrives after 8:30 AM will not be permitted to participate or travel that day if the absence is unexcused or unlawful. Circumstances that would prevent a student from attending school, such as a college visit or family issue, may be excused and should be brought to the school's main office in advance for approval.
Suspension from school (ISS/OSS)
A suspended student is ineligible to practice and may not attend practice or participate in preparation for any event. During suspension, a student is not permitted to travel, compete, or be on the team bench at any event. The suspension starts with his/her notification from a Principal and remains in effect until reinstatement to school. Additional action may be taken by the coach or Athletic Director.
Academic Eligibility
Student academic eligibility is determined by GASD and PIAA policies and is based off academic performance and previous semester attendance. Academic eligibility is monitored weekly during the sports season to ensure all students meet GASD and PIAA eligibility requirements.
A student-athlete must pursue a curriculum defined and approved by the Principal as a full-time curriculum. A student-athlete who enrolled at GAHS and takes at least one class at HACC is deemed a full-time student.
Preseason Grade Report:
This is completed before the official start of the sports season. It is based on the last official marking period grades. The fall season is based off the previous end-of-year grades. Students that fail two (2) or more credits in the previous grading period will be ineligible to participate for the first 15 school days of the sports season. Students are able to practice with their team during the initial ineligibility period.
Weekly Grade Report:
Grades will be checked on Friday morning each week throughout the sports season. The grade report begins after at least five (5) school days have been completed in the marking period. Student-athletes deemed academically ineligible cannot participate from Sunday to Saturday the following week. Students must be passing 70% of credited courses. Each wrap-around course will count as 0.5 of a credited course, all other credited courses will count as 1 credit. Students who are not passing 70% of credited courses on a cumulative basis for the marking period will not be allowed to:
- Participate in athletic contests or scrimmages,
- Travel with their respective teams to away contests
Marking periods that end mid-season:
Students must pass 70% of credited courses at the conclusion of a marking period or they will be ineligible to participate for 15 school days of the sports season. Students are able to practice with their team during the initial ineligibility period, but are not allowed to compete or travel. Ineligible students will start to serve the 15-day penalty the day after report cards are issued using the marking period and semester grades.
End of year grading period:
Athletes must pass 70% of credited courses at the conclusion of grades 9th, 10th and 11th to be eligible to practice or compete in athletics for the following school year. Each wrap-around course will count as 0.5 of a credited course, all other credited courses will count as 1 credit. If the athlete attends summer school and passes enough credits to meet requirements, eligibility will be granted.
Period of Participation
A student-athlete may not participate in interscholastic athletics if the student has: a) reached the end of the student’s fourth consecutive year (8th consecutive semester) beyond their 8th grade year, without regard to the student’s period of attendance. A repeat of 8th grade after successful completion /school promotion will count towards a student-athlete’s eight semesters of eligibility in high school.
Comprehensive Initial Pre-Participation Physical Evaluation
You are eligible only if you have completed a comprehensive initial pre-participation physical evaluation ("CIPPE"), performed by an Authorized Medical Examiner (as that term is defined in the GLOSSARY of the PIAA By-Laws) before your first sport season's first Practice of that school year. If you want to participate in subsequent sport(s) in the same school year, you may be required to be re-evaluated and re-certified that your physical condition is satisfactory. Wrestlers must also obtain a certification of the minimum wrestling weight at which they may wrestle during that season.
In all cases, an Authorized Medical Examiner must certify, on the PIAA Physical Form as to your physical fitness to participate in the particular sport(s) involved. A CIPPE may be performed no earlier than June 1st and, regardless of when performed during the school year, remains effective only until the next May 31st.
- Physicals must be submitted with the rest of the GASD Athletic paperwork.
- Physicals must be completed properly, submitted on time and be on the PIAA form to be accepted.
- Physicals must be dated after June 1st prior to the school year in which the student is participating.
- Students will have to get a new sports physical every year on the PIAA required form.
- The athletic department will hold sports physicals during early summer for participating 7th-12th grade students.
- No student-athlete shall be eligible to participate in off-season or in-season workouts without the required PIAA CIPPE form on file.
Students are eligible only if there is an official PIAA certificate on file with the principal of the school before students begin practice, signed by the parents or guardian consenting to the student’s participation in the respective sport. Parent consent forms are located in the PIAA CIPPE physical packets.
Student-athletes participating in a 2nd or 3rd sport during a school year must have a parent or guardian complete and sign the PIAA form Section 7: Recertification before the student-athlete is eligible to participate in the 2nd or 3rd sport.
Obligations
Student-athletes may not have any outstanding athletic obligations at the beginning of the athletic season in order to be eligible to participate. Any equipment or uniform owed from a previous season, regardless of the cost, must be paid in full or returned to be eligible to participate in the next season. Students will not be eligible to tryout or participate in any athletic activity (i.e. sports season, off season workouts, weight room) until the obligations are met.
All equipment and uniforms must be cleaned and personally returned to the coach at the end of the season or when the student leaves the team. Failure to comply will result in an obligation. Students may also receive an obligation if equipment if severely damaged or ruined in a way that would not be consistent with typical use. Parents/athletes are asked to inform the coach if equipment or uniforms are damaged during typical use so the student does not receive an obligation for the damage.
Acknowledgment of GASD Athletic Handbook
Parents and students need to be aware that participation in extracurricular activities is a privilege. The rules outlined in the GASD Athletic Handbook apply to participants in extracurricular activities on a twenty-four-hour basis during the period of participation. A copy of the Athletic Handbook is available online on the Athletics webpage and a copy will be on file in the Athletic Office. A parent-signed acknowledgment of the GASD Athletic Handbook shall be on file in the Athletic Office prior to a student-athlete’s participation.
While the administrative staff, coaching staff, advisors and faculty cannot observe students seven days a week/twenty-four hours a day, students are expected to abide by all school regulations during this time period. Parents and guardians are obligated and expected to support and enforce these regulations. Violation(s) brought to the attention of the Administration shall be investigated. Students have the right to due process. During the due process proceedings, if the allegations are found to be factual, the associated penalty shall be imposed.
