l.
“Rule administrator” means any of the following:
i.
An administering organization, when administering and enforcing the rules provided by this
Section at the high school level.
ii.
A local superintendent or his or her authorized designee, when administering enforcing the
rules provided by this Section at the middle and junior high school level.
iii.
The Superintendent of Public Instruction, if necessary pursuant to SBE Policy ATHL- 002,
Section 6.
NCHSAA Application Note 1.1.1. The defined terms in ATHL-001, Section 1 apply to this Handbook and the
NCHSAA rules unless otherwise specified or narrowed herein. Because the NCHSAA only administers high school
athletics among its member schools, as used in this Handbook and the NCHSAA rules, the following terms have a
narrower meaning:
(a)
“Administering organization” means the NCHSAA.
(b)
“Rule administrator” means the NCHSAA.
(c)
“Interscholastic athletics” or “interscholastic athletic activity” means any extracurricular athletic
activity that involves high school students, is sponsored by a membership entity, and includes stu-
dents from more than one membership entity.
(d)
“Participating school” means a high school that elects to participate in interscholastic athletic activi-
ties as a member of the NCHSAA, also known as a “member school.” [See Rule 1.1.2(d)].
1.1.2
For the purposes of this Handbook and NCHSAA rules, the following additional definitions apply:
(a)
“High school” means a public school or non-boarding parochial school offering education in Grades
9 through 12 or 10 through 12.
(b)
“Initial entry” means the earlier of the two events specified in ATHL–001, Section 1.f (e.g., if a stu-
dent participates in preseason football workouts prior to the beginning of the ninth grade academic
year, this will be deemed the student’s initial entry at this member school).
(c)
"Membership entity" is (a) a member non-boarding parochial school, or (b) a public school unit
(PSU), as defined by NC General Statute 115C-5, that includes one or more member schools.
(d)
"Member school," also known as a "participating school" is any school that is a member of the
NCHSAA.
(e)
“Public school unit” or “PSU” is defined in G.S. 115C-5(7a).
(f)
"Student” means a person enrolled in Grades 9 through 12 in any member school.
1.1.3
A membership entity may have policies in any of these areas or others that are more restrictive than the
NCHSAA or State Board of Education (“SBE”) requirements. However, the membership entity may not have a policy
for eligibility that is less restrictive.
1.1.4
It is mandatory that all member schools which participate in athletics conform to the rules contained here
in.
(a)
The NCHSAA is not an agent of the State of North Carolina. The NCHSAA has been designated by the
Superintendent as the organization to administer and enforce the rules adopted by the SBE to gov-
ern interscholastic athletics at the high school level.
(b)
Member schools are required to comply with all NCHSAA rules, as well as the State Board Rules and
Policies.
1.1.5
Complaints and Non-Retaliation - The NCHSAA shall not retaliate against any participating school, the
employees or students of those schools, or any other person for reporting, in good faith, to the NCHSAA, SBE, Su
perintendent, or any government entity any concerns about the NCHSAA’s administration of high school interscho
lastic athletics, including the following: suspected violations of laws or rules; circumstances giving rise to a sub
stantial and specific danger to student or school personnel health and safety; fraud; misappropriation of resources;
or gross mismanagement or abuse of authority. A PSU, participating school, PSU employee, or student seeking to
report allegations of intimidation or harassment by the NCHSAA shall submit a report with the Superintendent. The
report shall be in writing and include a detailed description of the factual basis for the allegations. The NCHSAA will
be given an opportunity to respond and/or address concerns or complaints submitted to the Superintendent. The
application of a penalty rule that is appealable to the appeals board (defined in ATHL-013, Section 1), whether or
not challenged on appeal, shall not be considered retaliation.
1.1.6
Schools may sponsor teams in other sports not listed in the Handbook (e.g., gymnastics, weightlifting, wom-
en’s field hockey, men’s volleyball, etc.); however, all students, regardless of the sport, must be certified as eligible
prior to dressing or participating in any interscholastic contest. Even though such sports are not sanctioned by the
NCHSAA, member schools should work, wherever possible, to adhere to the ideals and guidelines established by
the NCHSAA for its member schools in sports which it sanctions. The need to promote sportsmanship, to protect
instructional time, or the physiological needs of maturing teens should not disappear simply because it is not a
sport sanctioned by the NCHSAA. For reclassification to additional championships, the number of schools offering
teams in a sport must meet the constitutional requirement [See Bylaw VI] for two years before a championship will
be implemented.
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