08/11/23- Reminders about Approved Amendments to Bylaw 9 for 2023-24 (Basketball Organized Play Prior to Practice)

August 10, 2023 2023-2024 News Releases

At the September 22, 2022, Annual Meeting of the membership, the delegates approved an amendment to Bylaw 9 of the KHSAA related to the play of basketball players in competition prior to the start of the season. This change is now in effect. The entire text as approved is listed at the end of this information.

The key provisions

• In summary, basketball players (who have been in grade 9 and subsequently represented a member school in a contest) can now attend true recruiting opportunities that meet very specific criteria, between the start of school and October 14.
• The opportunity to attend these activities ends October 14, and there is no outside organized play after the first date for allowable practice for those students who have been in grade 9 and subsequently represented a member school in a contest.
• During the period from the first day of school through October 14, the delegates defined what is considered “organized play” and continue to prohibit play if these definitions deem the competition organized.
• There are five specific criteria, any one of which will deem a contest to be organized for the purpose of this rule as listed below.
• Athletic Directors and Coaches should be very familiar with the collegiate recruiting calendars, and if an activity is held when no college coaches CANNOT attend, that would preclude the event (per provision 1(a)).
  • A summary of those calendars, at least for the NCAA level, is listed at https://www.ncaa.org/sports/2018/5/8/division-i-and-ii-recruiting-calendars.aspx. 
  • This provision was key in discussion as member schools were insistent that third-party activities that were not permitted for coaches not be permitted for athletes.
• The other four provisions are keys as well in that there cannot be pre-event organized practice, assignment of teams, or other items as described.

This amendment DOES NOT permit students to continue playing on existing outside or school group teams, or larger groups from the same school to continue to play together, or the other provisions as detailed that would define the event as organized per the amendment. These were key in the discussion among the schools as there was not a desire to simply allow outside play during the period, only those recruiting events.

The will of the membership with its 179-8 vote on the proposal is a clear directive to the staff to enforce these provisions. If you have a question about a specific event or penalties involved for violation should one occur, please feel free to contact Associate Commissioner Butch Cope who is the ruling officer for Bylaw 9 or the Commissioner can be contacted at any time.

The final approved proposal is detailed in Bylaw 9 at https://khsaa.org/common_documents/handbook/bylaws.pdf, and is listed below.

BYLAW 9. BASKETBALL/FOOTBALL CONTESTANT ON OTHER TEAMS, POSTSEASON AND ALL-STAR GAMES

Sec. 1) Basketball

a) Restrictions from the first day of school through the day before the first permitted day of practice:

(1) For purposes of this bylaw, a contest, activity or play shall be considered organized if:

a. basketball skills are practiced or refined outside of the high school program and supervised by a third party not affiliated with the student’s enrolled school where collegiate coaches are not permitted to evaluate;

b. preparatory practice(s) are conducted prior to the event;

c. teams are assigned in advance of the event and made known to participants or others before arrival;

d. a team or playing unit involves three (3) or more members of the same high school team; or

e. a team is composed of individuals who previously have played or practiced together as a unit

(2) During this period, no student who, after enrolling in grade nine (9) has subsequently been a contestant in basketball at any level (grades 9-12) and has eligibility remaining in basketball may participate in organized play as defined in Sec. 1(a)(1) unless the Board of Control sanctions the event.

b) Restrictions from the first permitted day of practice through the last scheduled contest, including KHSAA-sanctioned postseason contests:

(1) During this period, no student who, after enrolling in grade nine (9) has subsequently been a contestant in basketball at any level (grades 9-12) and has eligibility remaining in basketball may:

a. participate in organized play as defined in Sec. 1(a)(1) unless the event is sanctioned by the Board of Control; or

b. any event where basketball skills are taught, practiced, refined or evaluated outside of the high school program and supervised by a third party not affiliated with the student’s enrolled school, even if collegiate coaches are permitted to be present and evaluating.

c) Restrictions following the last postseason contest

(1) Following the team’s last scheduled game (including postseason), there are no basketball play restrictions for the student-athletes except the applicable coaching restrictions as detailed in Bylaw 23.